The Connecticut Renaissance Faire 2026

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire 2026 runs August 29–October 25 at Lebanon Country Fairgrounds, Lebanon, Connecticut, with daily live jousting, dozens of shows across 13 stages, artisan shopping, food vendors, taverns, games, and nine themed weekends. The event is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM, plus Labor Day and Columbus Day Mondays.

⚔️ A full Renaissance season in Lebanon

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire recreates a 16th-century festival village filled with costumed characters, jousters, musicians, comedians, stage performers, merchants, games, and food stalls. The 2026 season is the faire’s 28th annual edition, with more than 200 shops, food vendors and games, plus live jousting every day.

Visitors can spend the day moving between performance areas, browsing handcrafted goods, watching arena entertainment, joining costume contests, and enjoying a different atmosphere depending on the weekend. The faire’s combination of Renaissance performance, fantasy programming and seasonal fall themes makes it one of the most complete Renaissance Fairs in New England.

🎭 Themed Weekends 2026

Each weekend has its own theme, special activities and costume-focused programming. The season begins in late August and continues through the Halloween period, giving returning visitors a reason to experience the faire more than once.

🎉 August 29–30: Opening & Market Weekend

Opening & Market Weekend launches the season with a family-focused celebration centered on shopping, tradition, pets and community. The artisan marketplace is one of the main attractions, with guests encouraged to explore handmade goods, specialty items and vendor stalls throughout the grounds.

This weekend also includes pet-friendly activities such as a Pet Costume Contest, Tricks for Treats, and Musical Sit, making it a strong choice for families and visitors who want a lighter, interactive start to the season.

🐉 September 5–7: Dragons & Dungeons Weekend

Dragons & Dungeons Weekend runs over the Labor Day holiday period and turns the faire into a fantasy realm inspired by tabletop roleplaying, video games, epic quests and classic adventure stories. Guests are encouraged to arrive as knights, rogues, spellcasters, adventurers or fantasy travelers.

This is one of the best weekends for visitors who enjoy cosplay, party-style group costumes, guild themes and fantasy storytelling. The atmosphere is built around heroic characters, quest energy and the feeling of stepping into a living adventure setting.

🌹 September 12–13: Roses & Romance Weekend

Roses & Romance Weekend focuses on courtship, couples, singles, music and festive social energy. Couples can enjoy the faire as a date-day experience, while single guests can take part in the weekend’s lighthearted social theme.

A notable activity is the complimentary “Single!” sticker available at the Gypsy Rose booth, designed to help guests meet others in a relaxed and playful Renaissance setting.

🧙 September 19–20: Shirefolk Weekend

Shirefolk Weekend celebrates halfling-inspired fantasy, food, storytelling and cozy village life. The theme is built around hearty meals, second breakfast energy, rustic marketplace browsing, comfortable costumes and a relaxed sense of adventure.

The faire has also announced a record-setting hobbit gathering attempt during this weekend, inviting costumed guests to take part in what is expected to be one of the most distinctive events of the 2026 season.

🧚 September 26–27: Faerie Ring Revels Weekend

Faerie Ring Revels Weekend brings a fantasy woodland atmosphere to the fairgrounds, with fairies, sprites, mushroom folk, forest spirits and enchanted travelers shaping the theme. Guests can wear wings, floral costumes, fantasy accessories or nature-inspired outfits.

This weekend is especially suitable for families, fantasy fans, children’s costumes and visitors who enjoy magical, imaginative settings. The focus is on creativity, light fantasy and the feeling of entering a fae-touched village.

☠️ October 3–4: Pirates & Vikings Weekend

Pirates & Vikings Weekend combines two high-energy themes: sea raiders and shield-bearing warriors. Guests can dress as pirates, Vikings, captains, sailors, raiders, warriors or any character inspired by ships, axes, flags and adventure.

The weekend is designed for bold costumes, group crews, rowdy humor, storytelling and a more action-driven atmosphere. It is one of the strongest options for visitors who enjoy theatrical costuming, maritime fantasy and battle-ready Renaissance looks.

🕰 October 10–12: Time Travelers Weekend

Time Travelers Weekend takes place over the Columbus Day holiday period and opens the faire to science fiction, comics, gaming, pop culture and cross-era cosplay. Guests can arrive as characters from the future, alternate histories, fantasy worlds or any timeline they choose.

This is the most flexible cosplay weekend of the season, welcoming everything from historical mashups to fandom-inspired outfits. The theme is built around creativity, self-expression and the fun of bringing different worlds into a Renaissance village.

🎃 October 17–18: All Hallows Weekend

All Hallows Weekend brings the faire into Halloween mode with costumes, spooky characters, playful frights and autumn atmosphere. Visitors are encouraged to wear Halloween attire, whether eerie, funny, elaborate or family-friendly.

The weekend keeps the Renaissance framework but adds darker seasonal entertainment, costumed revelry and festive mischief. It is one of the best dates for visitors looking for a Halloween-themed faire experience before the final weekend.

🦇 October 24–25: Merry Macabre Weekend

Merry Macabre Weekend closes the 2026 season with a crossover between Halloween and early holiday fantasy. The theme blends jack-o’-lanterns, strange seasonal characters, eerie humor and festive imagery, creating a final weekend with a darker winter-fantasy mood.

This is the last chance to visit the faire during the 2026 season and one of the newest additions to the themed weekend calendar. It is designed for guests who enjoy Halloween costumes, unusual holiday concepts and end-of-season celebration.

🎟 Tickets and admission

Tickets are available through the official ticketing page. General admission is $18 for ages 16 and older, youth admission is $10 for ages 7–15, and children ages 6 and under enter free. Online purchases are handled through Stride Events, and the faire advises guests to buy only through the official website or the venue box office to avoid ticket scams.

Visitors can buy tickets here: Get tickets online.

🏰 Lebanon Country Fairgrounds

Lebanon Country Fairgrounds provides the open-air setting for the event at 122 Mack Road. The venue’s layout supports jousting, stage entertainment, vendor rows, food areas, games and festival infrastructure. Visitors driving to the faire should use the Mack Road approach and avoid Barker Road, which is specifically noted by the event.

📍 Lebanon, Connecticut

Lebanon is a historic town in eastern Connecticut with about 7,100 residents. It played an important role during the American Revolution, especially through Governor Jonathan Trumbull, whose War Office became a meeting place for Connecticut’s Council of Safety.

The town is known for its long green, rural landscape and Revolutionary War heritage, giving the faire a suitable setting for a seasonal outdoor event. Its location between Hartford, New London, Norwich and Willimantic also makes it accessible for visitors traveling from different parts of Connecticut and southern New England.

🚗 How to get to Lebanon

Lebanon is best reached by car. From Hartford, visitors can drive southeast toward the Lebanon area via regional roads connecting through Colchester or surrounding towns. From New London and Norwich, the route heads inland through eastern Connecticut. From Providence or Boston, travelers usually approach via I-395, Route 2 or connecting state roads depending on starting point.

There is no passenger rail station at the fairgrounds. Travelers using train service can connect through larger regional stations such as New London, Hartford or New Haven, then continue by car, taxi or rideshare. Air travelers generally use Bradley International Airport near Hartford or Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport near Providence, followed by a road transfer.

📏 Approximate driving distances

The event is also a useful option for readers planning august 2026 trips and late-summer Renaissance weekends in the northeastern United States.