Sherwood Forest Faire

Fun and friendly atmosphere! Everyone really went out of their way to entertain my son’s love of the fair including Maid Marian who took some time to talk with him and pose for photos. Thank you for making his day so perfect! We will definitely be back!

Small enough, but not too small! Not commercialized like TRF with a lot of local vendors and great shows!

We’ve been attending this event for a few years now. It’s not the biggest or the best. It is reasonable priced and getting better each year. The food is always good and the kids love eating things with names like dragons toes and such. The event seemed a little bit bigger this year. The shows are fun and entertaining. I always love the look on the face of the kids accused of farting. Good family fun. Recommended.

Sherwood Faire has the benefit of being the younger brother of the much larger Texas Renaissance Festival which is owned by the same parent company. Meaning less crowds and less chaos, which I personally enjoy.
This Ren faire — any ren faire, I’m sure — has to have some things taken into consideration before coming.
First, expect that 90% of the people there have an extremely tenuous grasp on what the renaissance was. Expect to see people wearing Harry Potter costumes and playing the movie’s theme on a lute… which is probably the most era-​appropriate item to be found on their person.
Second… well, you know what? Just stick with the first. Don’t expect anything you see or do while visiting a faire like this to have any relation to the real time period it implies from its namesake. Sherwood Forest Faire at least plays it a little more loose with their interpretation, but it’s still based on the Sherwood Forest of Robin Hood fame, so there are still actors and visitors who cling to that idea.
That’s not to say it’s not fun — it is. If you enjoy people watching, you will have a field day. Examples of some of the costumes you’ll see that you’d really love to understand the rationale behind it:
1. Furries. Many many furries. Like… what the hell does that have to do with a ren faire? I didn’t realize it was a costume party with turkey legs.
2. The aforementioned Harry Potter.
3. Lots of guys wearing utili-​kilts.
4. Lots of people wearing ill-​fitting peasant costumes.
5. Lots of costumes that were thrown together just so their wearer could carry the replica sword he bought at the LAST ren faire and has been looking for an excuse to do so without being arrested.
6. Cat ears and tail and booty shorts. I still have no idea what realm these hail from.
Mix that with semi-​decent food (turkey legggggggs) and some fairly entertaining acts (jugglers, singers, etc) and you’ll have a pretty good time. Just know that what you’re walking into has more in common with Narnia than it does with a real-​world time period.

As a fan of ren fests go i put this on par with king richards faire in Carver mass and both of them FAR AND AWAY better than Texas ren fest.
why? More personal feel, and not spread out over what feels like endless miles to cover before you get to the next vendor/​stage. Texas ren fest is big, BUT, the content lacks and to get from one vendor/​act to another is excruciatingly far with nothing to see in between.
if you dont expect ppl to try and sell you something, then you obviously dont know they do this FOR A LIVING. Tips and sales are how they MAKE MONEY TO SURVIVE. Some of the critiques i see are so, ooh didnt expect to be asked to buy something. REALLY? YOU SAY YOU VE BEEN TO A FAIRE BEFORE AND DONT EXPECT THIS? all faires, all of them, have a carnival feel to them, because, THEY NEED TO LIVE. /​rant off
So anyway, this fest is so cool because they have great acts pulled from around the world (see paulo garbanzo, jester of muncaster castle, for example) and ive never been disapointed by the beer, meade, or food. (some of the best meade ive had, i have here actually).

So, SFF is a lot of fun, but it’s also certainly not for everyone. I like it a lot, and it features vendors who don’t have permanent stores selling things that I’m not likely to find anywhere else (e.g. customized pewter flasks, distressed wool fedoras, authentic [i.e. from actual animals] drinking horns, discounted djembe drums). Just the opportunity to see all of this weird and rare merchandise in one place plus the shows is worth the ticket price to me, but the aggressively commercial feel of it (which bothers me none at all – I’ll say «no» if I don’t want something) is exactly something that others may wish to avoid. Hawkers hawk, as they have always done and will do at every street fair from Ye Olde Times to present. It is what it is.
Although period fairs inevitably draw families, who oddly assume that that presentations of indecorously lewd and bottomlessly violent epochs of Western history should be tailored to children, SFF has a kinkier and edgier feel to it – be warned. There are no costume police, so everything period-​oriented from the 12^th to 18^th centuries plus furries and animé cosplay will be on display. Of special note, if you are a body-​shaming conservative repulsed by those people who do not fit conventional media beauty standards and yet who nevertheless dare to wear tight or revealing attire, please, for the love of gods, stay home and save yourself a disappointing experience. It gets boozy and smoky (in several senses) up in there as well. Kids are welcome, but this one’s tailored mainly to the grownups.
The jousting, fire-​juggling, and falconry shows are very good, and most of the musicians are top-​notch. Other shows are less impressive, but all of them are included in admission. Scanning the map/​program that you’re handed when you walk in to plan what you might like to see is almost certainly a good idea for first-​timers.
There is a huge variety of food and drink. Alcohol prices are reasonable for this type of event ($ 6 craft brews and $ 21 bottles of mead), the turkey legs (which are almost certainly emu or ostrich legs, as no turkey in existence grows that large) are delicious, but some of the food is disappointing and overpriced. Caveat emptor and all that.
Misc: 1) Parking is free (and there was much rejoicing!); 2) Because the paths are dirt or paved with wood chips, wheelchair access might be difficult for some (and there was much less rejoicing); 3) feeding the pot-​bellied pigs and the camel at the petting zoo is awesomely awesome, even if you are 42 and only a child in the sense of your maturity level.

We love this Renaissance Festival! We have been every year since they opened, it just gets better and better. The Washing Wench show is awesome! The food prices are not bad and drinks are fair too. There ARE real bathrooms unlike the other commenter said. They are at the front of the park and they keep them extremely clean! I don’t find the vendors to be pushy at all, I don’t understand that comment either. I’ve been here twice this year already and not once was I bullied by any vendor to buy anything. Yes the man at the Tomato Booth yells insults, that’s how the game WORKS! If you don’t like it, don’t go over there. Get your food and leave! Anyone who has been to a Renaissance Festival knows that you see and hear all kinds of stuff. If you cannot handle it, don’t go! This Faire is awesome! Go, have fun, interact and enjoy the surroundings and be jolly. Leave your thin skin and home!

I was excited to go to a Renfest in the spring, but after going here I’d rather wait for the Texas Renaissance Festival in the fall/​winter. The only reason I’m giving it 2 stars is because the food and drinks were reasonably priced (I had bratwurst with sauerkraut for $ 5, 5 Mozzarella sticks for $ 5, and sodas were $ 3) and the goods in the shops were okay.
Food and shop vendors would single out people and try to get them to buy stuff, pushing products in our faces. I couldn’t believe I’d actually paid for tickets to be harassed like this all day. They’d run up to you with products, saying how nice it was and that you’d look great in it, so I wound up wasting so much time initially trying to politely decline, until I was trying my hardest not to make eye contact with anyone at all.
The guy in the booth who wants you to pay to throw tomatoes at him is yelling insults at people as they walk by. Unfortunately an eating area with tables is right in front of him so you get to hear him yelling rape and domestic violence «jokes» while you eat. At one woman in particular, he was yelling about how attractive her breasts were and that he wanted to invoke prima nocta (which is the Lord’s right to have sex with another man’s woman). So this guy working here is yelling that he wants to rape one of the faire goers. Disgusting.
A woman working the bar said she’d pay for our next round of beer because she liked our outfits, but when we came back less than 10min later she pretended like she didn’t know who we were. Staff members shouldn’t be promising free drinks to people if they’re not going to follow through.
I went daylight savings weekend because the website said the Faire would be open an extra hour each day, until about 7:45pm. The Faire promptly closed at 7:00pm sharp, we couldn’t even buy a bottle of water. That’s another thing — there are NO water fountains. So you have to pay for $ 2 bottled water all day, and even if you were thinking of filling up at a sink in the bathroom, guess again because it’s mostly port-​a-​potties.

Had a great time! So yes there are some adult situations and jokes, but they warn you and you don’t have to stay for that particular show. Lots for kids and adults to do. Mead was a tasty new treat. The jousting was AWESOME! The characters are adorable. And lots of history and interesting facts learned. Great day trip. So tips… take snacks, nothing we ate was that good for the price. Take water… the weather was gorgeous today, but you still get hot and sweaty. Dress lightly, it’s dusty. Wear comfy shoes, rough, uneven terrain. Bring a bag or backpack to stash your treasures away. We were loaded down with stuff we bought, wish we had a bag to carry it in. Go on Sunday BEFORE 12 for discounted admission. And lastly, have fun… we sure did!

Having never been to a «Ren-​fest» as many seasoned pros refer to it as, I was glad to be accompanied by other legit dressed up folks. I hear there are better fests, but the proximity to Austin (about an hour) is very convenient. This Faire also runs for a couple months (weekends only). Pricing was $ 23/​adult and you can save $ 3 if you buy your tickets at Walgreen’s. No charge for parking which was a surprise. I found that my most favorite activity here was drinking mead and people watching. Sure, there’s shows like jousting, activities involving a bow & arrow, throwing axes, tomato tossing etc, and tons of pop up shops. The shops have really cool stuff, but are extremely pricey. Who’s going to shell out $ 800 for Ren boots?
I’d never had mead til I visited the Faire and it turned out to be the better deal to just buy the bottle. However, the people working in the pubs are SUPER TABC strict. Almost annoyingly so. We bought 3 bottles over the course of the day (shame shame!) and every time they wouldn’t even sell it to you if your partner wasn’t standing right there with you. Basically, you can’t buy a bottle to drink yourself. I couldn’t even hold my friend’s mug and mine since he was holding the bottle because they got on us for even that!
I was impressed by all the food offerings. Seriously, I expected I’d starve and that there would only be turkey legs on a stick to eat. I was wrong. They had everything, and are totally veggie friendly. Hell, they even sold iced coffee and I hit up their stand twice. I enjoyed my falafel wrap (yes that’s right) on a picnic table as I watched the jousting match take place. I’d definitely recommend this one if you’ve never been. Be careful about how hammered you get, they will cease serving you. I had a lot of fun and it’s cool to see so many people dressed up talking with fake accents and refusing to break character. Next time, I hope to have the attire down so I can blend in ;-)

Very unhappy! This was not at all wheelchair accessible. We couldn’t push the wheelchair over the surface they used for pathways and they did not offer motorized golf carts. It did not say anything about this issue on the website and no one answered the phone (just voice message available), so we drove over an hour for a big fat disappointment. Since we couldn’t push wheelchair over the pathways there were no accessible bathrooms. We will be filing a complaint under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

I was surprised. I thought it would be chumpy but it wasn’t. It was big, well done, with plenty to see and do. My kid was entertained. Had some decent food options. Didn’t even take it all in in one day so we’ll go back for another.

Loving the sites. Getting acclimated and drinking the spirits to get in the mood. Pickle man just arrived and we must partake. The Turkish coffee is amazing along with the best Scottish eggs ever. Yes even better than those served at Disney. We even saw a man with an actual peg leg. And the boobs, OMG, they are so uplifted, make me want to buy a boost-​e-​a I want an all day hug. We love this place an recommend everyone attend. Good day ye common folk.

I am a huge renaissance festival fan. HUGE! And I don’t care that my friends think I am a big nerd for counting down the days until the Texas Renaissance Festival opens each fall — there is no shame in my renfest game. So, I was pretty excited when the Sherwood Forest Faire opened closer to Austin. Every year I drag my family; it is usually pretty underwhelming, but entertaining and fun to be out there.
Yesterday though, was awful and I feel compelled to write this review. If I had to compare The Texas Renaissance Festival and my experience at the Sherwood Forest Faire yesterday, it would be like comparing Disney World and one of those pop-​up carnivals at an abandoned mall parking lot. We came excited by the prospect of fun and we left feeling dirty and sad. We will not be back.
A few examples:
— Homeless guy sleeping on a bench inside the festival
— A 16 year old girl working at the Fish and Chip Stand talking to her friend who was smoking a cigarette — both in full costume — just kind of ignoring everyone in line.
— A very drunk, old, overweight man in a really dirty, unbuttoned costume stumbles up to the two 16 year old girls. They both conspiratorially reach into his beer mug, take something out and eat it. Vomit.
— I went into the shop by the pirate area and walked in on about 12 staff eating fast food on folding tables in the middle of the shop.
Get your shit together, Sherwood Forest Faire!

What a delight!
The food was great! I’m a former server from France with high standards, and low expectations. Brouhaha floored me with the delicious dragon toes and scotch eggs. And that smile, and vitality! If the quality of the food wasn’t enough it was given to you by someone you can’t wait to meet again. It was such a pleasure, and an obvious choice, to go back for seconds.
Paolo Garbanzo was a memorable act! So funny, and talented, a pleasure to interact with. Not a dull moment! I must find You Tube videos, I can’t wait until next year for my fix.
The archery, the birds of prey, the axe throwing, and still more delicious food and amazing wares. What a selection! A day was not enough to enjoy it all, this faire is the venue for weekenders, not daytrippers as there is so much to do and see.
Last but not least, the vendors were the epic delight. No pushy sales clerk, only professionals, that obviously enjoy what they’re doing, full of talent, patience, wits and good judgment. The best food and the best wares will not satisfy our universal desire for respectful and considerate human interaction. That will always tilt my balance when I refer a business or venue. Even the Tomatoe Throwing gentleman was applying himself, in his own way. What a voice!
And the musical acts, my goodness, so much talent and so few hours until Dusk!
The operation staff was exceptional in their discretion, attention to details and efficiency. I didn’t see a single overflowing trash all day, and thank you for recycling.
This faire has it all! I can’t stop bragging about it. My husband and I had not had that much fun in a while and that is all due to the exceptional vendors and staff. I can’t wait to come back, such individuals are too rare to miss for too long.
Thank you so much for an unforgettable experience.

We went with the kids again this year and they had a blast. The browsing is fun but after a while it bored them so we entertained them a dog show, archery, some pirate school where my child was dubbed «scuttlebutt» (much to her eternal embarrassment) and we all had a good laugh. The kids then protected the castle from a «spy» with wooden swords, flew on swings of cloth, mazes that confounded and amused them and the youngest followed it all up with doing some jousting. The picture is pretty neat…
The food is great but be prepared to spend alot on it. We had turkey legs and broke up the rich meat with the Peasant Platter of bread, grapes and cheese. It was really good. The kids love the lemonade and we, the adults, are very fond the honeyed mead. Be prepared for theme park kind of spending, though they have hidden atms if you find you underestimated who much money a trip to the past can be.
I recommend getting some henna… its like a painless tattoo that lasts for a few weeks. The oldest (9) got one on her shoulder so her teachers can’t mad and is madly in love with it. If you prefer something that doesn’t last as long they have face painting as well. Or perhaps getting your hair braided might be fun. (I recommend twisted sisters)
You really cant go wrong coming here. Its so much fun and it gives you an appreciation for your family and the time period. And hey, they even have wifi now. Very modern indeed.

One of the best days I’ve had in a while! Sherwood Forest Faire, despite being newer (only 6 years) and relatively small (2014 attendance of 71,000), is doing a lot of things very well. They are rapidly growing, and have some amazing performers and vendors.
I drove out with my sister and two friends. It’s only about an hour from the house, so I like that it’s close. The staff was clearly having a good time, and nearly everyone, patrons included, was clearly having a blast.
Food is about as expensive as you’d expect; I paid $ 8.50 for a turkey leg, but it was a GOOD turkey leg, and huge! It was a meal by itself. I also had the beef goulash and a fried banana, which were equally tasty. My whole group was pleased with the food.
As for entertainers, we saw the Falconer, the Escapologist (one of the raunchier and funnier guys), the insulting fool you got to throw tomatoes at («Sir! When was the last time you walked away snickering from a guy in makeup?»), and of course the performers. I felt that one of the *unintentionally* funnier performances was actually a blacksmith set up by the food market, who would describe at length, and completely seriously, the process of heating up his tool in the forge’s gloryhole.
The bars all served mead, of which I recommend the Viking brand. $ 6 for like an 8 oz. glass. It’s damn good. I ended up paying $ 30 for a (16 oz., i think) clay bottle with a kraken on it and a cork stopper, to hold the vast quantities of mead I consumed. I also bought stamped and hammered coin necklace with a Pegasus on one side and a Phoenix on the other, which I will always wear as a reminder of the great time I had.
Probably my very favorite place at the entire festival was the Paleo Puffin. It’s this hookah bar/​coffee lounge that’s kind of like THE hot spot there. It’s right next to a stage where some gypsy band and dancers were performing. It was an excellent memory to chill there with friends, smoking a giant hookah, sipping a Peppy Puffin drink and taking in the music and the characters.
You certainly don’t have to dress up, but it’s more fun if you do. I would bring a bit of spending cash, but more importantly, bring a sense of fun and adventure and some good company, and you’ll have an absolute blast :)

Eat, Drink, & Be Merry!!!
Sherwood Forest is a Medieval Faire similar to the Renaissance style festivals but set in a different time period although you will also find many fantasy characters including Pirates and Fae hidden in the woods. I call it the «Love Child of TRF» which many of you have been to or heard about in the past. Many of the people from Texas Renaissance Festival near Houston can be found in Sherwood.
Sherwood Forest located just east of Austin and north of Bastrop close to the 290 & 21 intersection. The main entrance is on Old Potato Road. (Rumor has it not to follow GPS) Camping entrance is located on 290 just west of 21. Sherwood is considered a medium sized Faire on 32 acres and has room to grow in the future so keep coming back because every year something new is always happening.
I have been going out to Faire since day 1 in 2010 and oh my how the Faire has changed and grown over the years. Sherwood started as a six week Faire and the schedule has now expanded to eight weekends Feb — Mar every winter/​spring. Weather is bi-​polar this time of year so don’t let that stop you from coming out as the Faire is open rain or shine, cold or hot, so just dress appropriately and think back to what is like in England during that time period… you truly will be stepping into a magical place no matter the temperature.
Camping is the way to go, especially if you like to indulge in adult beverages. It is a whole other experience. There is a General and Quiet Area. The ground is mostly sand so be prepared for that. Also you might want to bring tools as some spots are still rough and might need some clearing out. The area is still rustic and I believe the Faire likes it that way. Then there is also a Clan camping area which is saved and worked by Clans that are a part of the Faire community. I belong to a Clan and purchase a Friend of the Faire pass which is a season pass that includes camping and I get to set up my tent for the whole season, yes 8+ weekends! My little piece of paradise is what I call it… Sherwood is a special place!
Multiple stages and entertainment. Comedy, Magic, Music, Falconry, Puppetry, Music, etc. Food from many different regions. Full Combat Jousting and on special weekends you might catch a Jousting Tournament. Robin’s Feast is an all you can eat and drink extravaganza for two hours with interaction entertainment held on Saturdays in the Castle. (I went in 2014, first year in the castle, and had a blast. The food was incredible!)
My Favorites:
Robin Hood story line through out the day all over the Faire
Archery has popped up every where!!!
Circa Paleo band on the Elven stage and the Puffin Deck of Paleo Puffin Coffee & Hookah, it is a great combo!
Jousting Tournament with Charlie Andrews /​Knights of Mayhem
Saxon Moon and Wine & Alchemy bands
Dead Bob show one year, I think season 2
Children’s Fairy Afternoon Tea
… and my #1 favorite thing to do… People watch! This Faire has one of the highest percentage rates of people dressed up in garb than many of the Faires out there. It is so much fun just to find a spot to sit and watch the parade of characters go by. It takes so much time and imagination to pull together the perfect outfit. This is my idea of fashion… Love the garb!
Sherwood Forest also hosts a Celtic Fest & Highland Games in Sept, Kid’s Camp with Medieval arts and crafts in Jul with an Adult Camp held over a weekend in Aug, and Gatherings that are open to the public during other months which is an opportunity to spend the day working in the Faire or Camp grounds with a pot luck dinner and evening entertainment which a beautiful way to build a community.
Sherwood Forest is a place I call Home! Huzzah!

This was my first time visiting and I gotta tell ya, I had a good time. This Faire is staffed by a lot of friendly people and it attracts the same kinda crowd. I really enjoyed the people that took time to dress appropriately, and, play the part. So many horrible fake British accents. Too funny.
Once you enter the gates your are transported back in time to the days of King Richard and Robin Hood in Nottinghamshire. It is cash only and they do have an ATM at the main entrance. It gets dusty so wear your tennies. Lots of food, drink and fun. A lot of people camp out and make a weekend of it. That would be cool.
I enjoyed people watching more so than the shows. Lots of drunk people and women’s breasts pouring out over their corsets. This got frightening sometimes, but, my black & tans got me through it just fine. Be warned people that the longer you stay in the Forrest and drink, the more tempted you are to dress up and play the part. They have lots of shops throughout the Forrest. There’s also a place by the main entrance where you can rent costumes. I almost bought a kilt! One day I will give in a buy one. Weekends only from February 7 — March 29. Rain or Shine. Check the website before you go.

I’ve been here for the Sherwood Forest Faire and then the Celtic Music Festival.
The Sherwood Forest Faire was pretty cool. It’s not as big or awesome as the Texas Renn Faire, but it’s a good alternative if you don’t want to drive super far away from Austin.
The Celtic Music Festival was a waste of time for the most part. Since it isn’t during their regular season, a lot of the booths were closed. Also, the music wasn’t as good (or as Celtic) as I had hoped it would be. It was just kind of dead.
The bathrooms definitely leave something to be desired. Not all the locks worked, they were super dusty and had webs and bugs everywhere. Eesh, Not impressed with the facilities at all.
It’s a pretty new faire from what I’ve gathered, so I think in a few years it’ll probably be a lot better. We’ll probably go back, but definitely keep in mind it’s like the Texas Renn Faire’s younger less cool brother.