Cavern City Renaissance Festival 2026

Cavern City Renaissance Festival 2026 will return to Lake Carlsbad Beach Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on September 25–26 for its fifth annual edition. The two-day festival features more than 100 artisan vendors, over 15 entertainers across multiple performance areas, armored combat, live music, circus acts, fantasy characters, a medieval recreation village, food, and drink.

Visitors looking for other events in the state can explore Renaissance and Medieval Festivals in New Mexico.

🕒 Opening Hours

Friday, September 25

4:00 PM–8:00 PM

Saturday, September 26

10:00 AM–8:00 PM

The festival is held outdoors and operates rain or shine. Same-day re-entry is permitted with the admission wristband.

The dates also place the festival among the Renaissance Faires and Medieval Festivals in September 2026.

⚔️ Entertainment and Activities

The 2026 festival spreads entertainment across several dedicated areas, including the Royal Pavilion, Pirate Stage, Armored Combat Arena, Medieval Village, and roaming performance spaces.

Clan Tynker Circus

Clan Tynker performs at the Royal Pavilion with a variety circus show incorporating skills such as magic, stilt walking, unicycling, sword swallowing, and fire eating.

Armored Combat

The Armored Combat Arena hosts full-contact armored fighting with real armor and weapons. Matches take place at intervals during both festival days.

Brethren of the Sunken Skull

The Brethren of the Sunken Skull bring pirate entertainment to the Pirate Stage and Shipwreck Cove, combining staged performances with interactive appearances around the festival.

Jamie O’Hara

Magician and comedy performer Jamie O’Hara appears at the Royal Pavilion with a family-oriented wizard show.

Grog Blossom

Grog Blossom performs a mix of Celtic and pirate-influenced music at the Royal Pavilion and Pirate Stage.

Flicker

Flicker appears as a roaming performer with a one-man-band act incorporating multiple instruments and comedy.

Destry Divine Fire Show

The Royal Pavilion hosts the Destry Divine Fire Show as part of the festival’s live performance lineup.

New Mexico Mermaids

New Mexico Mermaids appear at the Pirate Stage and Shell Cove. Activities include Pearl Toss, photographs, mermaid-themed interactions, and a Water Dance performance by the Mermaid Queen of New Mexico.

Summer Rain Acrobatics

Summer Rain performs roaming aerial acrobatics using apparatus including aerial chains and lyra.

Leo the Dragontamer

Leo the Dragontamer joins the festival as a roaming fantasy character.

Windbard

Windbard performs roaming flute music using a collection of unusual instruments.

The Balladeer Brendan

The Balladeer Brendan performs historical music associated with the medieval and Renaissance periods, including material centered on the development of the lute.

The Fairy Queen Mab

The Fairy Queen Mab offers interactive bubble play, handmade bubble wands, and body marbling.

Professor Nickels Punch and Judy Show

A traditional-style Punch and Judy comedy performance features Mr. Punch, Judy, a crocodile, Joey the clown, and other puppet characters.

Peaceful Forest

Peaceful Forest, led by taiko drummer Takumi Kato, brings Japanese taiko drumming to the Royal Pavilion.

Secret Moss Meadow

Secret Moss Meadow performs Irish and Celtic music combining vocals with Irish bouzouki accompaniment.

Fans of this type of historical event can also browse MedievalAgenda’s collection of Renaissance Faire events.

🗡 Medieval Village

The Society for Creative Anachronism’s Shire of Nahrun Kabirun creates the festival’s medieval recreation village. The area focuses on aspects of medieval life through displays of crafts, combat, and historical daily activities.

🧙 Cavern City Quest

The Cavern City Quest is an interactive fantasy activity that sends participants around the festival grounds in search of clues and hidden symbols.

Participants encounter characters, solve riddles, collect items, and uncover parts of a story connected with the fictional realm known as the Glimmering Veil.

👗 Costume Contest

The Society for Creative Anachronism will host a costume contest during the 2026 festival.

Saturday, September 26

3:15 PM: Costume Contest — Royal Pavilion

The contest recognizes the creativity and craftsmanship of festival costumes.

🛍 Artisan Market

More than 100 artisan vendors are expected at the 2026 festival. The current marketplace includes crafts and merchandise alongside specialty food and beverage vendors.

Confirmed food and drink participants include vendors serving meat pies, turkey legs, wood-fired pizza, rice balls, fudge, lemonade, aguas frescas, shaved ice, jerky, pretzels, nuts, and other festival foods.

Alcohol vendors listed for the festival include meaderies, breweries, cider producers, and a New Mexico winery. Guests purchasing alcoholic beverages must be at least 21 years old and present valid identification.

Outside alcohol is prohibited.

🎟 Admission

The official ticketing platform currently lists admission prices ranging from approximately $9.55 to $37.97, depending on the ticket selected.

Tickets are valid for the 2026 festival at Lake Carlsbad Beach Park. Purchased tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged or replaced with rain checks.

Buy Cavern City Renaissance Festival 2026 tickets

🏰 Lake Carlsbad Beach Park

Lake Carlsbad Beach Park is located along the Pecos River at 708 Park Dr. The festival uses approximately nine acres of the park for its performance areas, merchant spaces, combat arena, medieval village, and other attractions.

The riverside park setting allows the different stages and activity zones to be distributed across a larger outdoor festival ground rather than confined to a single building or arena.

Festival Rules

Only service animals are permitted on the festival grounds, and they must remain leashed and under control.

Period weapons carried as part of a costume must be secured or peace-tied. Exposed blades and points must meet the festival’s safety requirements, while arrows worn as costume accessories must have their tips removed and be secured.

Plastic, foam, and wooden costume weapons are permitted without a sheath or peace tie, but they may not be used in a manner that could strike another visitor or member of staff.

Smoking, vaping, and other products that generate smoke or vapor are prohibited throughout the festival grounds.

Children under age 12 must remain supervised by a responsible adult.

Food and Drink Policies

Visitors may bring water, non-alcoholic hydration drinks, food required for medical purposes, medically necessary nutritional supplements, special dietary foods, and baby food or formula.

Picnic lunches, outside alcohol, glass containers other than baby food jars, and coolers are prohibited. Bags and personal belongings may be inspected upon entry.

🅿️ Parking

Visitors must follow all posted parking and traffic instructions while attending the festival. Parking areas and vehicle access are subject to the regulations in effect at Lake Carlsbad Beach Park during the event.

📍 About Carlsbad

Carlsbad is located in southeastern New Mexico in Eddy County, along the Pecos River. The city serves as an important regional center for southeastern New Mexico and is widely associated with the nearby Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located southwest of the city.

The area developed significantly around agriculture, transportation, potash mining, oil, and natural gas. Today, Carlsbad remains one of the principal communities of southeastern New Mexico.

🚗 Getting There

Carlsbad is served by U.S. Route 62/180, which provides access from communities across southeastern New Mexico and West Texas.

U.S. Route 285 is another major regional route, connecting Carlsbad north toward Artesia and Roswell and south toward the Texas state line.

Lake Carlsbad Beach Park is located close to central Carlsbad along the Pecos River.

Visitor Policies

The festival may temporarily suspend activities because of electrical storms, heavy rain, high winds, or other hazardous weather conditions. Inclement weather does not qualify purchased tickets for refunds.

First aid is available on site, with firefighters providing medical assistance during the festival.

Lost items can be turned in at Guest Services near the entrance.