The Bay Area Renaissance Festival is one of Florida's longest-running annual traditions, transporting visitors to a 16th-century European village filled with jousting, artisan shops, period food, and live entertainment. The festival made its debut in 1979 in Largo, Florida. Over nearly five decades, it grew from a modest community gathering into a massive regional attraction drawing tens of thousands of visitors each spring.

Set in the fictional medieval village of Folkstone (previously known as Fittleworth), the festival features themed weekends, full-contact armored jousting, human chess matches, minstrels, and over 100 craft artisans. The event traditionally operates annually on weekends from February through March/April, featuring 15 stages of live performances including magicians, jugglers, musicians, and comedy acts.

The festival has occupied three primary locations in the Tampa Bay area during its multi-decade history. It originated and spent its first few decades in Pinellas County, operating out of Largo Central Park (and adjacent grounds). As the festival's footprint and attendance expanded, the space in Largo could no longer accommodate the growing crowd sizes and vendor requirements, prompting a move. In 2004, the festival relocated to the tree-lined grassy grounds surrounding the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) in North Tampa across from the University of South Florida. The event remained at MOSI for over 15 seasons, becoming a familiar staple for Tampa locals. However, planned developments and land re-zonings in the area around MOSI required the festival organizers to seek a permanent long-term home elsewhere.

In 2021, the festival officially relocated to its current location in Pasco County at the festival grounds off Auton Road in Dade City, adjacent to Withlacoochee River Park. The move to Dade City provided significantly larger acreage, allowing the festival to set up dedicated permanent-feeling structures, expansive parking, and wider pathways for the village of Folkstone.
Activities & Facilities

RestaurantPlaygroundPicnic shelterDogs allowedArts/crafts vendorsLive musicShort hiking trails

• Bay Area Renaissance Festival official website

Note: The dates of annual events and festivals are subject to change from year to year. Before planning your trip, be sure to check the links above for the actual dates, times, and schedule of activities.