The Summer Adventures series focuses on affordable summer fun for families in Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley. It’s all about exploring our own backyard and is the perfect resource for planning a killer staycation or finding something awesome to do this weekend. Interested in more local love? Head here.
Last weekend, my husband and I surprised the girls with a trip to the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, NY. Huge fans of anything theatrical, we had a feeling they would love it. We were right, of course.
Open on Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day between August 6th and October 2nd this year, the Renaissance Faire is a summer/fall staple for lot of families in the Hudson Valley. If you’ve never been, you absolutely have to check it out. Tickets regularly cost $25 for an adult and $12 for a child (5-12), but there are definitely sales and coupons available if you look hard enough.
There is so much to see and do there, that we didn’t even scratch the surface. Our favorites from this trip were the amazing Acrobatrix and the always-popular joust. Actually, we started our day with Acrobatrix and ended it with the joust. They were the perfect bookends to a really great day.
Tips for bringing kids to the NY Renaissance Faire
Pay attention to the weather. It was really hot this weekend. While we had a blast, we probably would have enjoyed it even more if we had waited until it cooled down a bit. A sweaty mom holding all of the things is not exactly the happiest mom.
Be prepared to spend a pretty penny. Yes, you can make your way through the faire without spending extra money. But you’re not really going to want to. Between all of the talented artisans, the food, and the games and rides, it will be hard to escape without buying something. The best thing to do is plan ahead and set a budget.
Acquaint thyself with the privvies. Yeah. This is highly important with kids in tow. There are bunches of porta potties sprinkled throughout the faire. According to the map (note: print one out at home unless you want to shell out $1 for one), it looks like there may be one actual bathroom at the far end of the faire. There are also restrooms in the parking area across the street.
Make sure the entertainment is kid friendly before you sit down for a show. The website is pretty good at explaining the entertainment and lets you know when something contains adult humor or is rated PG13. I also saw a couple of signs posted with upcoming acts that said PG13, which was good because we knew to skip those.
Dress up! Since we sprang this trip on the girls at the last moment, they weren’t exactly prepared to get in the Ren Faire zone. Ellie wore a flower crown and some fairy wings, but we couldn’t find anything that worked for Sam. Next year we’ll plan ahead and at least have some flower crowns to traipse around in.
If you have any other tips for visiting the Renaissance Faire with kids, leave them in the comments!
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Hi! I'm Jen, a freelance writer and girl mom who loves reading the newest children’s books as much as I love a good psychological thriller. I believe fiercely in the power of kindness, empathy, and really good quality chocolate. When I'm not knee-deep in glittery crafts and girl talk, you can probably find me sprawled out on my couch in the middle of a Netflix marathon with dark chocolate smeared on my face. The struggle is real. 
I’m loving this summer series. We went to the Garrison hike you posted about and it was awesome! Your directions to get to the waterfall as well as the parking were right on point – thank you! Can’t wait to check out the Rennaissance Fair next year. I’ve heard about it but silly as it sounds never thought to take the kids until your post!
Glad it was helpful, Laura! Did you guys get to check out the marsh at all? I’m still itching to do that! As for the Renaissance Faire, they go until October if you want to try and squeeze it in this year! I had never thought about it until this summer either!