On May 23,2010 my son Ryan and I went to Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas, which is about 30 minutes south of Dallas, Texas. We had a lot of fun watching the knights, cavorting with trolls and fairies and just enjoying the all-aroun medieval fun.

This trip report explains our observations at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival.

Scarborough Renaissance Festival

What is Scarborough Renaissance Festival?

Scarborough Renaissance Festival is one of the largest events to happen around the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex every year, attended by 200,000 visitors annually. Since 1981, people have traveled from all around the country to enjoy this six-week event.

Scarborough Renaissance Festival is an event based on the year 1533, during the reign of England's King Henry VIII. Since 1981 the festival has operated every Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day Monday in April and May. Many people call it "Scarborough Fair" but the "Fair" part isn't right - although it's not too far off. The real Scarborough Fair took place in the Middle Ages in the English town of Scarborough and was a 45-day festival, not too unlike Waxahachie's celebration.

But I digress.

Scarborough Festival is a 35 acre village within a 167 acre site, with more than 2,000 performers, artisans, food service people, grounds crew, and retail staff. 150 volunteers become the "characters" of Scarborough, including King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn. Daily Falconry demonstrations are conducted by John Karger of Last Chance Forever Wildlife Conservatory.

The property includes 200 permanent shops where you will find a bewildering assortment of souvenirs, collectibles, arts and crafts. Each day during the festival, artists demonstrate ancient arts like glassblowing, blacksmithing, candlemaking, leather crafting, armor making, medieval music and more. The village features 21 stages with over 200 performances - including three Full Combat Jousts - each day.

Naturally, food is a big part of the festival. Turkey legs are always popular, but you can choose from more than 70 menu items at the five food court areas, ranging from pastas to seafood to Italian Ice to fajitas or meatball sandwiches, pastries, etc. etc. The village is home to eight different pubs and taverns selling beers, wine and other drinks, and based on my observations, the regulars at the event spend a good deal of their time in these establishments. You'll notice that most every person dressed in period attire has a loop build on to their belt with a stein hanging off of it - unlike the weapons they're carrying, these steins aren't just for show.

Our Visit to Scarborough Renaissance Festival

Ryan and I went to the event on the Sunday before the Memorial Day weekend, so it was actually not too crowded. The drive to Waxahachie is very easy - right along I-35. Coming from Fort Worth we went 287 instead since that's the shortest route my GPS could find. This was an easy drive as well, although there were no signs along that road to guide me to Scarborough. Once you're on I-35, you'll find it is very well marked.

The village is located out in the sticks - there is almost nothing between I-35 and the village except a rather dumpy little gas station that isn't easy to get in and out of, so you probably want to fill up the tank before you get there.

Getting in to Scarborough is somewhat pricey - $22 for teens and adults. You can find discount coupons at Tom Thumb grocery stores, but we don't have any of those near where we live so Ryan and I had to pay full price. Fortunately, the parking is free. (It always chafes me when places charge admission and then charge you to park as well, so I like how Scarborough handles that. Charging to park is a scam - DID YOU HEAR THAT, JERRY JONES!!!!)

As with any event like this, Scarborough is designed to part you with as much of your cash as possible - souvenirs abound, costumes can be rented and they do have a wide selection of foods. You will be astounded at how money seems to evaporate magically from your pocket. Is it the spells from Twig the Fairy, or Rhianna the Troll? Nope - it's just really good marketing and a big variety of ways for you to spend the bucks. LOL

Actually, many of the things at Scarborough are extremely well priced for an event like this. The program is only $3. Sodas are a modestly painful $2.50 for a 20-ounce bottle. The torture dungeon and the mythical monster museum cost under $5. And all the shows and the jousting are paid for with your admission. You could spend the day just looking at all the shops and watching shows constantly and not spend any more than the ticket price, so if you can keep away from the souvenir stands and food places it's not too bad at all. It's just hard to tell the kids they don't NEED that wooden sword, flower headdress and painted face. LOL

Happily, Ryan didn't need any of the above accoutrements so we were able to enjoy the day without breaking the bank. And there is a lot to look at enjoy. Everywhere you turn, someone is walking around in the clothing of a knight, warrior, princess, jester, pirate, Vatican guard, etc.

Several volunteer actors play specific roles at Scarborough, and they really do it up. Sholo the Nubian has been at Scarborough for years and is a terrifically menacing warrior. Twig the Fairy is just delightful; with all the expressions and mannerisms, the young lady who plays this part has it down to a tee. Rhianna the Troll had the kids wrapped around her finger as she sat and told stories. It's obvious these actors really take the roles seriously and they add a LOT to the event.

As I said earlier, there are over 200 free stage shows presented each day. Singers, dancers, musicians, acrobats, magicians, knife-throwers and comedians all put on free shows all around the village, starting every half hour. I missed the falconry display, which is a big bummer. I would have loved to see that.

One big event that happens every day is the grand parade - an assortment of characters from around the village participate in the parade, which winds through much of the village at 1:00 p.m. The kids really enjoyed watching all the different costumed paraders going by.

Along with the shows, you'll find there are rides and games as well. You can try your hand at archery, climb a castle tower, or play various carnival-type games. There are several rides as well, geared primarily for the younger guests.

As you can see there is a lot to do at Scarborough Renaissance Festival, and I haven't even gotten to the premier event: The joust. Twice each day the village hosts a joust and sword fight. In years past, the event included several knights - this year there were only two, at least on the day we were there. I don't know if this was for budgetary reasons or what. The event is lots of fun to watch - the performers put on a heck of a show. Even though it's not real combat there is contact involved; for the show I watched, both knights had their neck pieces knocked loose during the joust.

If you stop to think what these guys are doing, it's really remarkable. They're in full armor, riding around in the Texas heat - after 10 minutes of that, they must feel like a chicken inside a pressure cooker. As I said before, they really do whack each other with swords and lances and take tumbles off the horses in their armor, which has to hurt. And they do this show three times a day.

Family Travel Tips at Scaroborough Festival Renaissance Festival

#1 - Arrive early. If you can get there right as the festival opens, you'll park closer, have fewer crowds to contend with and beat the heat.

#2 - Save money and eat before you go. You can still enjoy a treat while you're there without having to spring for a full meal.

#3 – Enjoy the shows. Get a program so you can plan out the shows you want to watch and see when they're happening. Then spend the day and watch lots of shows. Watch out for sunburn - I forgot to bring sunscreen, and I got torched.

Location:

The Scarborough Renaissance Festival is located at 2511 FM66, Waxahachie, TX 75167.

Visit the Scarborough Renaissance Festival Website.

Admissions:

One-Day Ticket Regular One-Day Admission
(good for any day of the festival)
Adult: $21.99
Child: $8.50

Be sure to look through our Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas photographs

Dallas Texas / Fort Worth Texas Travel Photographs

DFW Tourist Attractions

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditorium and Louis Tussaud's Palace of Wax in Grand Prairie, Texas - One of the 32 Ripley's Believe It Or Not museums currently operating - also known as Odditoriums - is located in Grand Prairie, Texas. It shares a home with a Louis Tussud's Palace of Wax museum. In October 2014 my brother and I toured these museums and I returned in February, 2015.

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas - One of the most remarkable buildings in Dallas is the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. It is a stunning example of modern architecture at its finest. The exhibits inside are no less amazing, featuring everything from dinosaurs to space exploration. I had a ball shooting pictures here in March, 2015.

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Dallas World Aquarium and Zoo in Dallas, Texas - More than an aquarium, the Dallas World Aquarium and Zoo provides an amazing setting for its animals like no other facility in th United States. I visited this aquarium in January and February, 2015.

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Grapevine Sealife Aquarium in Grapevine, Texas - A smaller aquarium, the Sealife Aquarium at Grapevine Mills Mall has beautiful displays and a glass tunnel that is better than what you find at the Dallas World Aquarium. My brother and I enjoyed an evening at the Grapevine Sealife Aquarium in October, 2014.

Frisco RoughRiders Minor League Baseball in Frisco, Texas - Minor league baseball is a terrific family ativity. The Frisco RoughRiders are a Double-A farm team for the Texas Rangers who play at the Dr. Pepper Stadium in Frisco, a town north of Dallas. I had the chance to take in a day game in May, 2014.

Medieval Times in Dallas Texas - In 2009 we went to Medieval Times Dinner Theater in Dallas, Texas. Our seats' view was obstructed by a safety net for part of the show, but I was able to get some neat shots anyway. Then, in 2013 several friends wanted to check out Medieval Times and so I returned there with them, Q and my brother. I used the lessons learned from the last time - that is, don't sit in a section behind a net - and a camera with a higher ISO and the results were vastly improved photos. This is a tricky photo setting; I literally used daylight, tungsten, florescent, shady and cloudy light settings when editing to get the colors right - and the photos were all taken from the same spot!

Texas Civil War Museum - Fort Worth Texas - I have driven past this facility literally hundreds of times - it is within 10 miles of our house. Every time I see it, I would think, "I need to check that place out - is it open?" Well, I finally broke down and went for a visit on February 27, 2010. Yes, it is open. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was inside too! Check out the photos from the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

Palo Duro Canyon in Amarillo Texas, December 28, 2012 - We decided to slip away from DFW for a couple days and visit the Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo. This is the second largest canyon in the US and it was terrific, even if it was pretty old. Check out these pictures.

Mesquite Rodeo - Rodeos and Texas . . . they go together like government spending and Washington DC. The Mesquite Rodeo is one of the best in north Texas. Tough shooting situation because of the low lighting and fast action, but I was able to capture some of the action.

Fort Worth Stockyards Rodeo - I've been amazed at how people from Europe are so fascinated with rodeos. We had to friends from Poland come to visit and this is the one thing they asked to see. So, we took them to the grand daddy of them all, the Fort Worth Stockyards Rodeo. Cowtown put on a great show for them, and I was able to get some good shots for them to take home as souvenirs.

Billy Bobs in Fort Worth, Texas - You must have heard of Billy Bobs. Several TV shows have been done there as well as many live albums. Any country singer since 1981 you can think of has performed there at one time or another. It's the self-proclaimed world's largest honky-tonk, situated in the Fort Worth Stockyards. We went to see singer Chris Cagel in 2013 - my friend Leah is a Cagel-head going back to his first album and she wanted us to see him in concert. This was a fun place to two-step and enjoy a concert. Tough for photography though, as is the case with any concert. Leah shot the concert pictures you'll see here and she did a great job.

Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas - Dinosaur Valley State Park contains some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. The dinosaur tracks are located in the Paluxy riverbed. There are two fiberglass models, a 70-foot Apatosaurus and a 45-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex. There isn't a lot to this park in terms of photography, but the kids love the big dinosaurs and you can swim in the river to cool off.

Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas - One of America's most historic places, Dealey Plaza is the place where President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The Sixth Floor Museum is a place every American should visit at least once; it's an outstanding museum. Unfortunately you can't take pictures in there. I did shoot some pictures of Dealey Plaza, the grassy knoll, the school book depository and the road where JFK was shot (there are X marks on the road where the shots hit Kennedy) and those are posted here.

Tuba Christmas - Fort Worth, Texas - Nothing says Christmas like a pedal C. Every year, tuba and euphonium players gather in cities around the country to play Christmas music for delighted - and frankly, astonished - listeners. I once heard someone say they expected a bunch of tubas to sound like buffalos burping at a salt lick; in fact, a tuba-euphonium ensemble sounds great on Christmas carols, and the whole spectacle is fun and free to the public. My son and I are both former euphonium players, so we sat in with the Tuba Christmas 2010 performance in Fort Worth. These are fun pictures to check out.

 

Other Texas Attractions:

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Fredericksburg, Texas - I'm ashamed to admit that I had lived in Texas for over a quarter-century and had never visited Fredericksburg - and me, a German! My wife and I spent a weekend in Fredericksburg in March, 2015 and had a lot of fun. Check out the photos if you're planning a trip to Fredericksburg . . . it's worth the drive, even if you only go there to get their awesome sausage!.

Louisiana Air Museum - OK, this isn't Texas but it was still a day trip. They had some cool aircraft on display including the Vulcan bomber and the B-52, well worth photographing.

San Antonio, Texas - I have been to San Antonio several times. For some reason I have been unable to find most of my photos from there, but I did shoot some in October 2013 while my wife and I were there. I have posted those shots here. You'll enjoy the pix of Dinosaur Quest - imagine life-size dinosaur skeletons and dinosaur models, illuminated with black lights . . . and connected with the fairways of a miniature golf course.

 

Annual Texas Events:

Carrollton Indian Festival in Carrollton Texas - I don't know a great deal about this event but it did provide a fun opportunity to shoot pictures of some truly dazzling American Indian attire and dancing.

Rattlesnake Roundup - Sweetwater Texas - This event has been going strong since 1958, so it deserves coverage in our Texas day trip section. I went to the 52nd annual Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas in March, 2010 and shot plenty of pictures, which you can view here.

Plano Balloon Festival September 2012 - The Plano Balloon Festival is a north Texas tradition. I went on the last day in 2012 and got these shots.

Ennis Bluebonnet Trails in Ennis, Texas - For years I've talked about shooting pictures of the bluebonnets and wildflowers and for years I never got around to it. This year I was able to carve out a little time, although not nearly enough. After visiting Scarborough Renaissance Festival, we cut over to Ennis and spent a little time on its renowned driving routes through the countryside around that town to see the bluebonnets. There were several spots that were packed with bluebonnets, paintbrushes and other wild flowers. The weather was pretty good for shooting and I came back with a few good pictures. Later this year or next season, I'm going to dedicate a full day to these trails.

Scarborough Renaissance Festival - Waxahachie Texas - One of the biggest festivals in the Dallas / Fort Worth area is Scarborough, a renaissance festival in the town of Waxahachie, Texas. Ryan and I went to check out the knights, royal courts, jesters - even a troll and a lute-playing fairy. You'll enjoy the shots of the knights jousting and sword fighting in particular - those turned out well. In April 2014 I spent a lot of time at the birds of prey show and got some nice shots there. This is a compilation of several visits to Scarborough Renaissance Festival.

Alliance Airshow in Fort Worth Texas - In October, 2009 we took the boys to the Alliance Airshow in Fort Worth, Texas. Pretty much like any other airshow you've gone to, with the Blue Angels as the headliners. We saw demonstrations by the A-10 tank buster and the F16 fighter as well as various stunt pilots. The Blue Angels' C-130 did a demonstration before the jets wowed the crowd. The weather was mostly cloudy, unfortunately, but we still got some good shots.

Carswell Airshow in Fort Worth Texas - The Alliance Airshow in Fort Worth, Texas is pretty much like any other airshow you've gone to, with the Blue Angels as the headliners. We didn't have as good choice for seats, but we still managed to enjoy the aerial acrobatics and the static displays.

Tuba Christmas - Fort Worth, Texas - Nothing says Christmas like a pedal C. Every year, tuba and euphonium players gather in cities around the country to play Christmas music for delighted - and frankly, astonished - listeners. I once heard someone say they expected a bunch of tubas to sound like buffalos burping at a salt lick; in fact, a tuba-euphonium ensemble sounds great on Christmas carols, and the whole spectacle is fun and free to the public. My son and I are both former euphonium players, so we sat in with the Tuba Christmas 2010 performance in Fort Worth. These are fun pictures to check out.

 

Dallas Arboretum:

Spring Blooms at Dallas Arboretum in Texas - I love the Dallas Arboretum. These shots capture Spring Blooms at the arboretum.

Autumn Scenes at Dallas Arboretum in Texas - These shots capture the Fall pumpkin and flower display at the arboretum. I've never seen so many pumpkins in one place before!

Chinese Lantern Festival 2013 in Dallas, Texas - I missed the Chinese Lantern Festival in 2012 because traffic around Fair Park was so bad. In 2013 I got smart and took DART rail to get there. This display is incredible! You'll need a tripod and a remote shutter release to photograph this event, but if you have those with you, this is like shooting sitting ducks . . . or in this case, dragons.

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! 12 Days of Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas Texas - 12 Days of Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum is spectacular . . . 12 large gazebos featuring incredibly rendered characters from that old song we love to hate. The arboretum opens again after dark for the 12 Nights of Christmas, which is another experience entirely. Here are the shots we did in 2014.

 

Concerts, Shows and Exhibitions:

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Jurassic Quest Dinosaur Exhibition in Dallas Texas - It doesn't get any more cool than this - 50+ life sized dinosaurs, all waiting to be photographed. And I did, in February 2015. These are some fun pictures!

Chihuly Exhibit July 2012 in Texas - The Chihuly glass exhibit is spectacular. It was set up at the Dallas Arboretum and this was an awesome shooting opportunity. You gotta see these photos - what a beautiful display.

Josh Groban Concert at the American Airlines Center in Dallas Texas - We attended Josh Groban's concert at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. What a terrific show! I got terrific seats for us at floor level so I was able to get some really nice shots.

Star Wars Exhibit in Fort Worth, Texas - One of the museums in Fort Worth displayed a large Star Wars exhibit and we got a chance to go. They had costumes of all the characters and some awesome models of the various ships. I should have taken a tripod though - my pictures would have been better. I got some decent shots though, worth posting here.

 

Christmas in Dallas / Fort Worth Texas:

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Vitruvian Park in Addison, Texas - Vitruvian Park in Addison features a dramatic Christmas display that is unlike anyone else's. Check out these photos from December 2014 to see why I say that.

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Main Street in Grapevine, Texas - Grapevine, Texas calls itself Christmas City for Texas and they do things up right. Here are a few photos from Main Street in Grapevine taken in 2014 - more coming in 2015.

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Ice!, An Annual Show at the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Resort in Grapevine Texas - Ice! is an annual show at the Gaylord Texan hotel and resort in Grapevine, featuring several million pounds of carved ice. 2014's theme was Frosty the Snowman. Walking through Ice! you'll get as cold as you can in Texas, but the carvings are really neat.

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! Deerfield Addition Community Christmas Lights in Plano, Texas - Plano's Deerfield Addition has great community spirit, organizing a massive neighborhood Christmas light display that essentially shuts down the roads in the area for the month of December. Seriously, these folks do a great job - check out what this community did to get in the Christmas spirit in 2014.

NEW! ADDED MARCH 2015! 12 Days of Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas Texas - 12 Days of Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum is spectacular . . . 12 large gazebos featuring incredibly rendered characters from that old song we love to hate. The arboretum opens again after dark for the 12 Nights of Christmas, which is another experience entirely. Here are the shots we did in 2014.

Tuba Christmas - Fort Worth, Texas - Nothing says Christmas like a pedal C. Every year, tuba and euphonium players gather in cities around the country to play Christmas music for delighted - and frankly, astonished - listeners. I once heard someone say they expected a bunch of tubas to sound like buffalos burping at a salt lick; in fact, a tuba-euphonium ensemble sounds great on Christmas carols, and the whole spectacle is fun and free to the public. My son and I are both former euphonium players, so we sat in with the Tuba Christmas 2010 performance in Fort Worth. These are fun pictures to check out.