Assume you’re an adult and pay $30 to enter the Central Coast Renaissance Festival in San Luis Obispo on July 20 & 21. What do you get for that?
For starters, you’ll be immersed in non-stop entertainment from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Six stages come alive with singing, dancing, storytelling, acrobatics, comedy, and all sorts of antics. Twice daily, you’ll witness fully armored knights battling fiercely until the last man stands. There’s also a children’s costume contest and, on Sunday, a thrilling pirate treasure hunt. As you wander the streets, you’ll encounter strolling musicians, magicians, colorful characters, and even a plague doctor. Parades are frequent, and you’ll have the chance to see Queen Elizabeth and her Royal Court. Truly, there’s unique entertainment at every turn.
All this excitement is bound to make you hungry and thirsty. Thankfully, fifteen food vendors offer a variety of delectable options, from traditional roasted turkey legs to bangers and mash, meat pies, Greek and Mexican cuisine, BBQ, sandwiches, fish & chips, fruit tarts, ice cream, large pretzels, mac and cheese pies, pizza, scotch eggs, shrimp & chips, pork loin, veggie rolls, and more. The aromas are intoxicating. Your thirst can be quenched with iced tea, freshly squeezed lemonade, lattes, coffee, mango lassi, Thai iced tea, Hawaiian shave ice, and water. For adults, there’s a selection of beer, ales, hard iced tea, mead, wine, and hard seltzer.
After you’ve indulged, take a leisurely stroll through the market of handpicked artisans. Here, you’ll find everything from authentic Renaissance clothing to leather goods, jewelry, pottery, soaps, and various other treasures. If you need a break, you can rest on a straw bale and watch the vibrant Renaissance world go by.In essence, you can spend a full eight hours in this magical village at Laguna Lake Park, enjoying all that the Central Coast Renaissance Festival has to offer.
