The 45th anniversary of King Richard’s Faire, New England’s largest and longest-running Renaissance festival, arrived Sept. 5. For this 2026 season, which runs on weekends and holidays through Oct. 25, the kingdom has relocated to the Edaville Entertainment Venue in Carver. Though some fairgoers preferred the previous forest-based site with its abundance of trees, the new site is considerably larger, with a bus shuttling visitors between the fairgrounds and a second parking lot.
Once guests pass through the gates, they find themselves in an expansive marketplace, with more than 110 artisans across 11 lanes. Clothing vendors often encourage guests to try on outfits freely, including girdles, leather armor and kilts. Conventional items such as incense, candles and notebooks are easy enough to find, though vendors also offer more peculiar objects: taxidermy, wooden pipes, headbands decked out in crystals and moss and even ethically sourced real furs from a Canadian trapper. While wares remain eclectic, prices have significantly risen over the past few years with inflation.
Services offered include tarot card readings and henna designs. Artisans also present demonstrations of their handmade crafts such as glassblowing, weapon making and candle work in traditional fashion.
Many “ren faire” enthusiasts showed off their creativity by wearing historically inspired adornments: robes, tricorn hats and corsetry. Others wore more whimsical costumes, incorporating elf ears, fairy wings and horns. Upcoming themed weekends will further emphasize specific aesthetics, such as wizards or tartans. First-time fairgoer Vasily Sysoev described it as a “curious ethnographic field trip.” Sysoev was critical of the perceived use of generative AI at the fair, which has also drawn online backlash from seasoned fairgoers.
As for activities, the Gaming Glen features 18 hand-powered, engine-free rides, as well as games of skill. Guests can try archery, ax throwing, knife throwing and pony rides, among other activities, typically costing $5 to $10. The rides, which are not too intense, are appealing to families with children. Parents can also take advantage of face painting stations and the Kid’s Cove play area.
Armored knights ride on horseback three times daily, culminating in a 5 p.m. marquee joust. On Sept. 6, the joust concluded with two jousters playing dead on the Tournament Field while two knights dismounted their horses to sword fight. Beyond combat, the faire featured performances throughout the day on eight stages, several involving raucous audience participation.
With the exception of giant turkey legs, the festival generally offered typical fair food such as fried chicken or nachos. The highlight of the alcohol menu was mead in many different flavors, such as strawberries and cream, spiced apple and pineapple coconut. Even the standard draft mead got a warm reception, with attendee Emily Schlafly describing it as “pleasant and surprisingly strong.”
The fair takes place at 5 Pine St., Carver, on Saturdays, Sundays and select Monday holidays through Oct. 25, with gates opening at 10:30 a.m. and closing at 6 pm. The fair offers free parking. Tickets are available online, starting at $36 for adults. Though vendors and artisans accept cards, the Gaming Glen is cash-only for rides and games.
