It’s a pirate’s life for the nation’s largest Renaissance festival 1 hour north of Houston
TODD MISSION, Texas (Oct. 29, 2024) – The 50th Annual Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF) will welcome scallywags and buccaneers of all ages this weekend for its annual Pirate Adventure Weekend on Nov. 2-3. One of the festival’s most popular themes, Pirate Adventure Weekend is where even the most meek of festival-goers can embrace their inner Jack Sparrow for a day of swashbuckling fantasy, sea dog adventuring and surprise sea shanty singalongs.
This weekend marks the halfway point for the nation’s largest Renaissance-themed festival. Through three weekends, TRF has welcomed more than 160,000 patrons to its 70-acre grounds north of Houston, with 2024 shaping into one of the most-attended seasons in its 50-year history. The festival is expected to draw more than 500,000 patrons over eight themed weekends from Oct. 12 through Dec. 1.
“Pirate Adventure Weekend is one of the most fun, immersive and light-hearted weekends on our annual schedule,” TRF marketing director Miranda Ramirez said. “The pirate’s life seems to attract patrons of all ages. Maybe it’s the eyeliner and sword fights. Attempting to talk like a pirate for a whole day is really fun, too.”
Special attractions for Pirate Adventure Weekend include the Best Dressed Pirate Contest, where patrons can showcase their best pirate finery. It will be hosted inside on the arena stage at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The famous Fish & Chips Eating Contest kicks off at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with contestants vying for deep-fried glory at the New Market Village’s gazebo. On Sunday, officials from Houston’s British Consulate – guests of King Henry VIII – will also participate in the contest. The Margaritaville Mermaid, direct from Conroe’s Margaritaville Lake Resort, will be on hand all weekend long to meet the public by the dragon swings. Patrons will have the unique opportunity to meet actual knights from the Full Steel Combat team at Odin’s Table, located near the arena, starting this Sunday at 2:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.
TRF also kicks off its annual food drive benefiting the Houston Food Bank during Pirate Adventure Weekend. Led by Weston Creative’s Dragonforge, the festival’s official blacksmith shop, patrons can donate non-perishable food items at the front gates and enter to win a raffle for TRF tickets.
Texas Renaissance Festival tickets are available at texrenfest.com. Admission to the festival grounds is free for kids 4 and under, while kids aged 5-12 get in free on Sundays and at half-price on Saturdays.
This year’s remaining themed weekends at the Texas Renaissance Festival include:
- Pirate Adventure (Nov. 2-3)
- Heroes & Villains (Nov. 9-10)
- Barbarian Invasion (Nov. 16-17)
- Highland Fling (Nov. 23-24)
- Celtic Christmas (Nov. 29-Dec. 1)
ABOUT TEXAS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
The Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF) is the nation’s largest and most acclaimed Renaissance-themed event. Established in 1974, the event attracts more than half a million visitors annually to its 70-acre recreation of a 16th-century European village one hour north of Houston. The festival is a celebration of food, fun and artisan markets ensconced in immersive Renaissance-era magic. The 50th anniversary season takes place over eight themed weekends from Oct. 12 through Dec. 1, 2024, including Thanksgiving Friday.
For more information, visit texrenfest.com. Follow the Texas Renaissance Festival on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok for up-to-date information and content, including traffic and programming updates each weekend.