The Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie is celebrating 45 years in style. Come along on a trip through the village, including must-see performances.
Hear ye, hear ye! The Scarborough Renaissance Festival is running every weekend through Memorial Day (May 25). The festival is celebrating 45 years of the event, and there’s an abundance of entertainment throughout the grounds.
This year welcomes a new joust arena, The King’s Dungeon, a renovated Scarborough Castle: Hauntings of Yore, and hundreds of acts, artisans, and vendors. Here’s a peek at some of the highlights.
A wide variety of performances
One of the coolest elements of any Ren fest is the mix of performances you’ll get to see. Scarborough Renaissance Festival is no exception; it’s packed with humor, stunts, gravity-defying acts, and much more.
Cirque du Sewer
Perhaps you’re familiar with Cirque du Soleil, the classic circus show with death-defying stunts and impressive acrobatics. Cirque du Sewer has a similar vibe, except the featured performers are rescued rats and cats. Melissa Arleth is the human mind behind the show, designing the choreography, stunts, and scenery. As Arleth pointed out, “These rats are the most historically accurate thing at the Renaissance fest.”
Arleth and her acrobatic animals got their start at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival 17 years ago. The act has seen some changes over time, including adding a woman named Owl on the viola, “thus making the show classier than it has any right to be.”
You’ll see a rat hop through the hoop of doom, the wheel of death, and the hoop of even more doom. You’ll witness a cat balance upon Arleth’s head while she juggles swords. You might even see a feline get so distracted that he runs up the stairs. And it’s all fantastic.
I also appreciated Arleth’s honesty amidst the jokes: “The arts flourished during the Renaissance because people funded them. When you tip, you become a patron of the arts.”
Arthur Greenleaf Holmes
You may have attended a poetry or book reading in the past, but it’s never been quite like this. Arthur Greenleaf Holmes is part of the “PG-16” entertainment of the festival, billed as “England’s preeminent poet of the perverse.” There’s nothing too vulgar here, though there are a few mature themes and some coarse language, so younger children might miss most of the jokes. Holmes’s show takes place at the Village Green and can be viewed in tandem with Seamus’s Beer Tasting. What a way to whet your whistle!
Holmes has some smooth crowd work, as well. He asked a couple of audience members (who looked like they might be under 16) how old they were. One woman said the baby she was holding was six months old, then followed that up by saying it’s not her baby. Holmes smiled and encouraged the other woman, who “loaned out her baby,” before nervously pretending to call for security.
In between readings, Holmes offers a bit of education about poetry as an art form. In many cases, moments of grief and tragedy were often followed by comedy, since “poetry shouldn’t be what you expect.” A crowd at a different show off in the distance cheered. Holmes acknowledged it appropriately: “And the other crowd went wild.”
Cirqa Brava
Cirqa Brava will likely make you question your core strength, though you’ll be too busy marveling at the aerial stunts unfolding before you. The all-female circus has a mix of high-flying and narrow-balancing acts, living up to the “brave” part of the name. There’s an audience participation section, plus lots of confetti, which makes everything look at least 50 percent more majestic.
Many performers have collectible pins as a token of appreciation for tipping. Cirqa Brava also has gifts like stylized playing cards and feathers for folks who come up after the show. Such a nice little memento to take away.
It’s a very empowering show, and after the grand finale, Cirqa Brava offers a toast “to strong women, men who are playful, and all of you for showing up.” We’ll cheers to that!
Washing Wall Wenches
The Washing Wall Wenches performance is part vaudeville, part sketch comedy, and entirely chaotic. Buttercup, who runneth o’er, and Pippa, who’s not responsible for shrinkage, are at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival, a pair of cousins with a penchant for shenanigans.
This is perhaps the most interactive show of the entire festival. The first few rows are in a splash zone (there’s a giant pool for washing and/or cannonballing), and one guest had an entire bucket of water dumped on his head. The row behind him alertly scattered out of the way. Two other audience members got quizzed on their intelligence—they knew 2+2 and what letter came after C, though their knowledge of African country capitals was sorely lacking—before they got to perform various feats of strength and flirtation during acting roles in “Wenchterpiece Theatre.”
It’s a raucous time all around, and there are plenty of call-and-response opportunities for the entire crowd. When tipping the performers, a ten-dollar bill went in their bloomers. As Pippa told me, “We’re going to spend this on bad decisions.”
Cydeshow Cy
Sword swallowing mixed with dad jokes—what could be better? Cydeshow Cy puts on a show that might have you sighing over corny wordplay, followed by gasping at the spectacle of swallowing swords. Cy’s got quite a few weapons in his arsenal, too, from curved swords to ridged swords to objects that are on fire.
“People always ask if it’s real fire. Yes, it’s real fire,” he said. “If you know where to find fake fire, please let me know, because this hurts.”
It was also nice to hear Cy’s caution to children and the audience as a whole about getting into this hobby. “Do not try this at home,” he said on several occasions. Once, that statement was followed by, “If you do try it, try it at a hospital. It will save you lots of time.”
Jacques Ze Whipper
Bad news: Jacques Ze Whipper was a limited-time performer at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival, and his weekends are already behind us. Good news: He’s a frequent visitor to the festival, so you can add him to your must-see list for next year.
Beyond his penchant for wordplay, Jacques is an exceptional showman. He whips a large balloon between an audience member’s knees; he navigates whips that are on fire; and he takes song requests from the audience, performing them with updated whip-centric lyrics. During the performance I saw, he did Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness, and wrapped it up with “Wannabe” by Spice Girls. Such range!
Just don’t expect any specific song choices. As Jacques noted, while encouraging people to raise their hands, rather than yelling: “Don’t shout out your request, especially if it’s Slayer. You’re not the first person to make that joke…today.”
Supporting local artists and vendors
I happened to visit during Artisans Weekend, which included fun raffles and giveaways to support the vendors throughout the Ren fest. Even during other themed weekends, you’ll find plenty of souvenirs and collectibles.
There are Renaissance portraits of dogs, tiny frogs with wizard hats, glass-blown souvenirs, wax hands with flowers, and dragon eggs with stuffed dragons inside of them, just to name a few. There are also several shops with their own creations and lore, like Log Hollow Studio. Its owner, Logan, designed the creatures of Log Hollow: Knorbs, Couch Potatoes, and Sporgs.
“They’re all made out of vintage and repurposed materials,” she said. “They live in a magical, alternate dimension forest called Log Hollow. Couch Potatoes and Knorbs have a bit of a symbiotic relationship together.”
Of course, if you need to add to your wardrobe, there’s no shortage of options, either. Costume rentals are available right by the main entrance. Throughout the grounds, you’ll find dresses, armor, shields, swords, purses, hats, and all other kinds of accouterments.
My best advice for shopping: Walk around and pop into any place that catches your eye. Shopkeepers are always willing to chat, and hearing them talk about their passion is lovely.
Eat, drink, and be merry
The atmosphere of the Ren fest is electric, and that extends to the wide selection of food and drinks. You can certainly indulge in a giant turkey leg or mug of mead—classic Renaissance items—and the variety of “on a stick” foods is staggering. I opted for a jalapeno sausage on a stick and had no regrets. I even had a group of strangers ask me where I got it, and they excitedly rushed over to purchase their own.
Meanwhile, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten Dippin’ Dots outside of an amusement park, baseball game, or Renaissance festival. I kept that streak alive with a highly refreshing Dippin’ Dots root beer float. The pickle vendors are quite entertaining with their hollers, and biting into a giant, juicy pickle is oddly satisfying.
You can bring a water bottle into the festival with you, or purchase a handcrafted, wood-fired mug from one of the artisan shops. It’s a 16th-century scientific fact that all beverages taste better coming out of a wooden mug. There are a few water fountains to refill a drinking vessel, as well.
Some vendors only take cash; be sure to note that while standing in line, so you’re not caught off guard. And if you have your eye on one of the more active rides, such as rock climbing or the swinging ship-style adventures, it’s probably better to do that before chowing down.
Tips to make the most of your visit
One of the best tips for maximizing your visit is to simply wander around the entire festival. There’s so much to see, from shows to vendors, and it’s an excellent way to support the arts. Here are a few other things to keep in mind:
- Check your theme. Each weekend has a different theme. While many of the performances will remain the same, there are some unique elements depending on when you visit.
- Bring cash. Many venues are cashless nowadays. However, the Scarborough Renaissance Festival is set in 1545. It doesn’t have your fancy PayPal, CashApp, or Venmo features. Okay, some performers and shops do, but let’s just roll with the bit. Bringing cash allows you to easily tip performers, and some artisans and food and drink vendors are cash-only.
- Get ready to be vocal. The overall vibe of most performances is “jovial,” and there’s often some element of crowd participation involved. Sometimes, it’s as simple as shouting out suggestions for a song or scene. On other occasions, you’ll join in chants or call-and-response. And the really lucky people get brought up onstage to fully participate. Be sure those vocal cords are warmed up.
- Play along. One of the most basic rules of improv is the concept of “yes, and.” You’re taking an idea someone gives you and building on it. You may have a chance to display that mindset during the fest. Performers will wade out into the crowd, and you might be selected to partake in a scene (either from your seat or on the stage). The performers won’t set you up to fail, and it’s far more enjoyable watching someone who’s willing to be silly and play along. Besides, you’ll likely never see anyone in the crowd again after your visit, so who cares if you do something a little goofy in front of them?
- Arrive early to events you really want to see. Many shows have multiple performances per day, though some fill up faster than others. Events like the joust or the limited-run performers require arriving early to get a better seat. On the plus side, many of the stages are still enjoyable even when you’re standing, so you’ve got options if sitting down isn’t as important to you.
- Chat up your fellow attendees. The social environment at the Ren fest is lively. See someone in a cool costume? Give them a compliment! Impressed by a work of art or the creation of a vendor? Let them know! Just about everyone is willing to chat, and you’ll brighten their day with a bit of personality.
Finally, be ready to have a ton of fun. We’ll see you at the village!
The Scarborough Renaissance Festival is located at 2511 FM 66, Waxahachie, TX. Parking is included with your ticket, available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
