Follow the Festivals

Menu

Overview

Sherwood Forest Faire runs as a spring Renaissance village outside McDade, with weekends built around costumed play, live acts, shopping, and big-set-piece entertainment rather than a single parade or one headline concert. You enter a purpose-built world of lanes, stages, food stalls, and the joust arena, where people lean into the theme in everything from full court dress to simple cloaks and flower crowns. The feel is part theater, part open-air market, part all-day hangout, with families, committed faire regulars, and campers all sharing the same dusty Texas paths.

Why it's special

This one works because it behaves less like a scheduled festival and more like a temporary world you step into for the day. The center of gravity keeps shifting: a crowd gathers hard at the joust arena, then spills back into the artisan marketplace, then reforms at the performance stages, with costumed roaming characters turning the in-between paths into part of the entertainment. That movement gives Sherwood Forest Faire its own texture; you are not waiting around for one headline moment so much as settling into a long, dusty, theatrical drift where shopping, people-watching, eating, and showgoing all blur together. The weekend camping culture pushes that even further, giving it a stronger live-in feel than a standard day-trip renaissance event.

What to Expect

Most visits begin with a line at the front gate and ticketing area, then a slow first pass through the marketplace artisan lanes as people get their bearings and start spotting costumes, props, and food stands. By late morning and early afternoon, the performance stages and joust arena pull the biggest clusters, with renaissance-themed stage performances, comedy, music, and jousting exhibitions setting the pace of the day. Between show times, people drift back into the artisan marketplace for shopping, snacks, and photos with costumed roaming characters. Mid-afternoon is often the busiest stretch on the grounds, while the later part of the day feels more relaxed if you stay on after the first rush has burned off.

Festival Highlights

  • Jousting exhibitions at the joust arena. Renaissance-themed stage performances spread across the performance stages. The artisan marketplace and marketplace artisan lanes packed with leatherwork, metalwork, costumes, and handmade oddities. Costumed roaming characters turning the paths into part improv set, part photo backdrop. Weekend camping culture that keeps the faire feeling alive beyond the daytime visit
Explore guided experiences.

Food & Drink

Eating here is part of the costume-drama fun: you are carrying hearty, hand-held food between the marketplace artisan lanes and the performance stages, then washing it down with ale or mead before heading to the next show. The menu leans into faire staples rather than polished dining, so expect smoky, greasy, sweet, and easy-to-carry options that fit a long day outdoors on the Sherwood Forest Faire grounds. Must Try:

  • turkey legs
  • meat pies
  • sausage on a stick
  • mead
  • roasted nuts
Discover local food tours.

Where It Happens

Just outside McDade, the faire is laid out as a purpose-built village rather than a single field or stage. Most people come in through the front gate and ticketing area, get their bearings in the marketplace artisan lanes, and then peel off toward the performance stages or the joust arena depending on what is starting next. Food stalls are threaded through those main walking routes, so the path between shopping and shows is part of the day’s rhythm, not dead space. Beyond the core grounds, the parking fields handle day visitors while the camping area creates a separate edge to the event for people staying the weekend and keeping the atmosphere going after the daytime crowds thin.

Find hotels near these areas.

Tips for First Timers

Treat it like an all-day outdoor outing, not a quick stop. Pick one or two must-see shows early, especially if jousting exhibitions are on your list, then leave room to wander because the marketplace artisan lanes are part of the experience, not just filler between acts. If you want the strongest atmosphere, wear at least a small costume piece so you feel part of the game. If you are camping, pack for a very different rhythm after dark than a day trip, and if you are not camping, decide before you arrive how long you want to stay so you are not stuck leaving right at the busiest exit push.

Budget

Plan for admission plus steady small purchases once you are inside, because the artisan marketplace, drinks, and snack stops add up fast over a full day. Food and drink spending can climb if you graze between the front gate and ticketing area, the performance stages, and the joust arena instead of sitting down once. Camping adds another layer beyond a day visit, but it can make sense if you want the weekend atmosphere and do not want to repeat the drive and parking routine on multiple days. Peak spring dates and the closing stretch can feel pricier simply because people stay longer and spend more once the grounds are busy.

Safety

The biggest issues here are practical outdoor ones: uneven ground, dust or mud on the walkways, heat if the Texas sun is out, and slow-moving lines near the front gate and ticketing area. Give yourself extra care in the parking fields and vehicle entry, where footing can be rough and the arrival rush can be messy. Around the joust arena, settle into a spot early if you want to watch, because moving through a packed edge once the show starts is awkward. If you are camping, bring a light for the camping area and watch your step after dark.

Key Days

February 28 to April 19, 2026

Festival window

February 28 to March 1, 2026

Opening days

around March 25, 2026

Peak period

April 18 to April 19, 2026

Closing stretch

When to Go

The current edition of Sherwood Forest Faire is scheduled for February 28 to April 19, 2026.

Booking is completed on Expedia in a new tab.

Check typical flight pricing for your preferred travel window before the busiest arrival days fill up.

Where to stay

Booking is completed on Expedia in a new tab.

Check typical hotel pricing for your preferred travel window before the busiest arrival days fill up.

×

Your Sherwood Forest Faire Itinerary

Extend Your Trip

Nearby Festivals

Seasonal Festivals

Powered by
►
Necessary cookies enable essential site features like secure log-ins and consent preference adjustments. They do not store personal data.
None
►
Functional cookies support features like content sharing on social media, collecting feedback, and enabling third-party tools.
None
►
Analytical cookies track visitor interactions, providing insights on metrics like visitor count, bounce rate, and traffic sources.
None
►
Advertisement cookies deliver personalized ads based on your previous visits and analyze the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
None
Powered by