Revolutionizing · Modernizing · Simplifying
Revolutionizing · Modernizing · Simplifying
Two days. That is what is left.
The Colorado Renaissance Festival has been running in Larkspur since 1977, same independent operator that built the whole thing from dirt, and the 49th season is about to close the gates on August 2. After that, nothing until 2027. So if you have been telling yourself you will catch it next weekend, there is no next weekend.
Here is the part people miss. Last year, in 2025, this festival sold out. Multiple weekends. Closed the gates at capacity for the first time in nearly 50 years. Think about that. Almost half a century of this thing running out in Douglas County, and only recently did they have to turn cars around at the entrance because the village was full. That is why the organizers are practically begging you to buy your tickets in advance this time. You do not want to drive down to Larkspur, sit in that sun, and get told no.
They are calling August 1-2 "A Final Huzzah." It includes the last CRAIC show of the season, which if you know, you know. This is the send-off.
The festival runs Saturdays and Sundays only, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., rain or shine, out at 650 W Perry Park Ave in Larkspur. The whole 2026 season was eight weekends, June 13 through August 2, built around themed weekends. Magical Fantasy Weekend, Celtic, Wine, and the Pirates Invasion back in June (June 20-21), which is typically the busiest of the entire run. This closing weekend is the one that matters now because it is the one you can still get to.
More than 100,000 people come through every year. It is the single biggest annual event in southern Douglas County by attendance, and it is not close.
King Henry and Queen Anne run the royal court and welcome everybody into the village of Larkspurshire. That is the setup. From there it is a full day.
The jousting tournament runs three times a day in the main arena, real horses, real hits. Around that you have got continuous performance stages, fire eaters, jugglers, magicians, blacksmith demonstrations, and those roasting turkey legs that you can smell from a hundred feet away. The artisan market is honestly the danger zone if you ask me. Swords, musical instruments, leather and woodwork, jewelry, costumes, flowers, hammocks, toys, perfume, tea, and crowns. They rent costumes on-site too, so if you show up in normal clothes and feel underdressed by noon, you can fix that.
Hayley and I have a rule about the artisan market, which is that we do not make eye contact with the sword booth. It never works.
Larkspur sits around 6,500 feet, and the sun up there does not play. Organizers say bring a hat, sunscreen, water, and a light layer, and I would take that seriously. People underestimate a full day standing in that exposure and pay for it on the drive home.
One more practical thing. Some of the smaller food stalls still prefer cash, so pull a little out before you go so you are not hunting for an ATM while your turkey leg gets cold.
Pricing for 2026. Adults are $32 at the box office, or $31.50 through Etix online, or
To get there, take Exit 173 if you are coming from Denver or Exit 172 if you are coming up from Colorado Springs, both off I-25. Festival phone is (303) 688-6010 if you need it.
Larkspur has a decent little summer calendar beyond the festival. There are free Music in the Park concerts at Larkspur Community Park, and Hot Rods in the Park, a car show, lands on August 8. So even after the Ren Fest packs up, the town keeps a couple things going.
But the festival is the main event, and the clock on the 49th season is real. Buy the tickets ahead, drink water, watch the joust, and go say goodbye to Larkspurshire before it disappears until 2027.
Huzzah, and I mean it.