Entertainment

When attending the Renaissance Festival, one can anticipate being entertained by a variety of performances that are representative of 16th century England. You can see the schedule of events here.

The festival offers an immersive experience that transports guests back to the year 1585, during the summer progress of Queen Elizabeth I. As Tilbury village was one of the Queen’s destinations during her progress, the festival endeavors to recreate the ambiance of that era, with villagers showcasing their most talented performers and vendors.

Guests can enjoy a diverse range of acts, such as musicians, jugglers, and actors, along with artisans exhibiting their crafts. Furthermore, the village will be adorned with banners and shields, allowing guests to catch a glimpse of the grandeur that surrounded Queen Elizabeth I’s travels.

Knight Fight – Often referred to as “Medieval MMA” or “Knight Fight Club,” this blood sport is a full-contact combat where modern-day warriors battle in over eighty pounds of plated armor with real steel weapons. Rooted in historical traditions, this is the first time for this event in the festival. See them go at it at 12 noon and 3:00 pm both days.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Her Royal Court – There aren’t words enough to describe this stunning show. Queen Elizabeth is on her summer progress about England. She is accompanied by her many Lords, Ladies, household servants and the Royal Guards. This is truly a sight to behold. They not only look good but throughout the day, they perform dances and display their many talents to entertain Her Majesty. Don’t be shy about taking photos – they are quite happy to accommodate.

The Merry Wives of Windsor – We’re thrilled to have The Merry Wives of Windsor return. They are an all-women folk musical stage act with PG-13+ bawdy comedy. Blending elements of folk music from the British Isles and the Americas, the foundation of the Merry Wives’ sound is rich vocal harmonies, with support and ornamentation by traditional and contemporary folk instruments. 

Tea & Strumpets – The “Strumpets” love to sing and dance and entertain with their array of comedic, family-friendly content. Or for the more adult audiences, our content packs a punch and is filled with innuendo, puns, and clever lyrics to keep you clapping along and saying…”Did they really just say that?”

Barleycorn Country Dancers – Whether you catch them in a stage show or dancing in the street, the Barleycorn Country Dancers are a perennial favorite in our village. Enjoy authentic Renaissance dances and if the spirit moves you – join in!

The Story Wrens – Traditional songs of England, Scotland and Ireland, accompanied by tenor mandolin, whistle, and fiddle. Their Celtic harper was winner of the All-Ireland contest and has performed with the Chieftains. LA Critic Awards “best folk album 2012” and “best folk band 2018”, and recent guests on the upcoming Lifetime series, American Princess.

The Three Falconers –Experience the thrill of an engaging and enlightening stage performance featuring a diverse array of native and exotic raptors! Marvel as these majestic creatures take flight, showcasing their unparalleled agility with captivating demonstrations that soar over the audience (weather permitting).

Visit our booth, where Master Falconers are on hand to offer up-close encounters with our magnificent raptors. Witness firsthand the care and dedication involved in their upkeep through insightful bird care demonstrations.

You can get up close to see the birds. If there are nesting wild birds nearby we will not be able to free fly these birds (we don’t want them to eat the local chicks).

Fowl Tales –  Ahoy!  Bob Bartley brings you the only Pirate Parrot Show in California!  Demonstrating a lifetime of training and friendship, Bob and his birds will amaze the crowd with piratical hilarity!

The Minstrels of Misrule – This lusty band of worldly London notables and their hapless hangers-on from the countryside will have you entranced and in stitches with their roaring, bawdy musical tales and witty ruminations on the meaning of life, itself: they play, they drink, they play again, and one never knows what might happen next!

Madrigali – We are an a Capella Renaissance singing group. We sing short songs written before 1650 in English, Italian, French, Latin, and other languages. Our songs are heartfelt, bawdy, funny, serious, and reflect the values and ideals of the Renaissance. Their songs are truly hauntingly beautiful. Experience what they refer to as Renaissance Surround Sound. 

Double Crown Dancers – Belly Dancing and entertaining as well as the teaching of various dance styles in the world. We traveled the world and brought our dancers, guards and all necessary personnel with us. We traveled to other countries to encourage them to fight for England against Spain.

Danse Macabre – This group recreates the Danse Macabre parades of medieval and renaissance Europe; the main message is that all must die, no matter what their station, so everyone should lead a good life and be prepared to die. They parade throughout the faire twice each day. Parades consist of musicians playing renaissance music on recreated period instruments, dancers, and at least one banner carrier. All paraders are in mask and either skeleton costume or all (nearly) black costume.

Daring Daniel – Contorting, Balancing and Juggling; Daring Daniel Dares to entertain the masses with his unique brand of Skill, Stupidity and uh….Daring!

Professor Peanut Pirate Storyteller – Not every pirate lies, cheats, or steals. Some pirates are adventurers of knowledge and above all else kindness. Come listen to one of these such pirates with Professor Peanut and the Isla of Ethos an all ages family-friendly tale with action, laughs and goofiness young ones to the golden agers will love. Audience engagement and participation is always welcomed and encourged, you never know what might happen in each telling. Every story ends with the audience joining Professor Peanuts’ crew by taking his own pirate oath to be Honest, Trustworthy, Respectful, and above all else Kind.

Try your hand at archery! It’s fun for all ages.

New Queen’s Ha’Penny Consort – An ensemble of musicians who play Renaissance Music in support of the Queen and the activities of her Court.

Join in the street games.

Knights of Assembled Men of God (AMOG) – Weaponry demonstrations, ax throwing, archery demos, and demonstration of sword training. The public can play balance beam, chicken kicken, castles, shut the box, pirate punching, and more.

Constables of The Shire – The Constables of the Shire is a street improv group that recreates the citizen-police of Shakespeare. We base ourselves loosely (very) on the Constable humor as found in our frequent use of malapropism, a technique Shakespeare would use again in Elbow from Measure for Measure, and poking fun at the amateur police forces of his day, in which respectable citizens spent a fixed number of nights per year fulfilling an obligation to protect the public peace, a job for which they were, by and large, unqualified. We strive to uphold this tradition.

Hounds Haven Guild – What village would be complete without a ragtag assortment of characters like these. They set up an awesome tableau tavern scene and are more than happy to welcome visitors to their company, play games, and generally entertain everyone. 

Oh, and there’s a Costume Contest For Kids, held at 1:30 PM daily, with prizes. Every entry gets a really nice keepsake gift just for entering, so there are no losers.  You can learn more about that here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pirate Treasure Hunt – On Sunday, youngsters can join in on a “Pirate Treasure Hunt” with maps, clues and of course, treasures to be found. It’s a festival-wide event and everyone is invited to partake. 

This is just a small sample of the many things to do and see. In addition to the stage shows, the dancing and singing, there are living history displays everywhere.

This is a family friendly event. Bring the entire family and enjoy a unique summer festival. There is no smoking on the festival site.

Be sure to bring a camera because this is a spectacle unlike anything you’ve seen, and you want to share the photos with other.

Please leave your pets at home. Only service animals are allowed.