New Jersey Renaissance Faire — Attraction in Springfield Township

As a beginner to Ren Faire, here’s my review. My experience at the NJ Ren Faire was lovely, pure fun, and memorable and I will be going back again for a whole day in the future. I am a young adult with no children, for the record, and I showed up in a DIY whimsical costume with a friend.

What to expect (the gist of it): -The size and scope of the faire grounds was bigger than I anticipated. Give yourself a whole day to try to enjoy as much as possible without rushing; a couple of hours is not enough time to make it through (for a beginner, especially with timed shows happening everywhere). For reference, I was there for 3 hours and walked 2 miles (in heels). -There is a large cast of actors who love committing to their roles as English renaissance townspeople that populate the whole faire, circus-like side shows with daredevil and magic and music and comedy acts, food trucks and mead and turkey legs galore, horse and "unicorn" rides, a jousting tournament with lively knights on horses, axe throwing competitions and games of the like, various activities for children, and many many shops with costume supplies, art, and witchy knick knacks galore. -The side show acts always mention ways to tip them at the end but I never experienced any being pushy and most made it clear that it was completely optional. -Any type of costume seems to be accepted and supported here: I saw many people dressed up as fairies and elves and even in cosplay! You are not limited to dressing only in the English renaissance time period, it also includes all things magical and mythical. The majority of the people there were in some type of costume or clothing relevant to the time period, so it felt pretty immersive! But at the same time, if you are wearing just your favorite outfit and not a costume, no one would care! -General parking is free, I went on a Sunday midday with no issues. You don't have to get VIP parking. -Cash is necessary if you'd like to fully experience the faire (I'd recommend at least $20-$30 per person) but many food trucks and shops accept card. There are ATMS on site. -You may want to wear comfortable shoes or at least bring a backup pair if your costume includes heels. -Consider bringing a parasol, umbrella, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a large water bottle. -The main faire is open from 10am to around 6pm, except for Saturday, when there is an After Hours period in the evening for adults only for a separate fee. -As to the pricing... Some food and drink items are not visibly priced unless you ask and are very pricey for what they are. I ordered a cup of the smoking witches brew (basically juice with smoke for 30 seconds), and they started making it for me and never informed me of the price beforehand: $9. It was underwhelming. Ask ahead and use your best judgement. Having said this, there were also food and drink items that were more reasonably priced; but if any of that concerns you, eat a good breakfast and bring a snack with you. Many things are overly expensive, but some are worth it for the unique experience. A lot of the games (axe throwing) and animal riding/petting activities are pricy, but this is hardly everything the Faire has to offer (especially if you don't have children). I'd argue the many shows and side acts are the best part, and that's included with your ticket--which is $25 if you buy online ahead. -I wish there was a map and schedule online but there isn't, instead they're posted at the fairgrounds on the day of. If I had known there was a schedule with all of these acts I would've arrived much earlier. It seems an easy fix for the event holders to post this to their website. I've included a photo of this to aide anyone who would like to see the map and an example of the schedule of acts and events in a day. -I included photos of the map of the fairgrounds and an (example) schedule of events/acts/shows with...

First time visitor to NJ Ren Faire. I have attended the PA Ren Faire for 21 years and made a trip to the MD Ren Faire, so I'm familiar with the concept.

I visited on my own as I didn't know what to expect, and most of my family had other plans for the day and I had to leave a bit early. (after the chess match) Entry cost was lower than those faires, at $25 for an adult. Pretty reasonable I think for what they provide. I feel as though the others have gotten a bit too expensive.

This was a fun place to visit! Going in, I had low/no expectations. I knew it wasn't a big thing as they had to move locations a couple years ago. It is a fairgrounds location, with a lot of temporary structures, tents, food trucks, and booths for the vendors. There are some nice pieces in the gate entrance, and the chessboard stage, but generally pretty minimal for any feeling of having been transported to the past.

I happened to visit during the weekend where they have everything translated with sign language. This was the first time I had ever seen anyone or anywhere do this sort of accessibility for its patrons. So amazing! I was told it is generally the third weekend each year, so if you have a need for that, plan for that weekend.

The actors and staff were great! Friendly, fun, and did a great job performing the story beats and interacting with guests through the day. The guest performers were fun, though I didn't get to see all of them, the ones I did get to see were enjoyable. The joust and fights take place in the main arena area, which is part of the fairgrounds and have bleacher seating on both sides. On one hand, that's excellent for seeing everything. Definitely appreciated that compared to wood benches and grass seats I have dealt with at others. On the other hand, it does conflict with the themeing and take you out of it a bit. They also really focus towards one side of the bleachers, so sitting on the opposite you won't hear them (speakers are small and directed opposite you), and they won't face you during battles. They didn't get too crowded at least when I went.

I should have brought sun screen. There is little shade through the grounds, so you will spend a lot of time in the sun. Plan accordingly with bringing (saw a lot of people with refillable bottles) or buying water and cool drinks, and sunscreen! Vendors were spread around and plentiful, and many took credit cards (I forgot cash!), so plenty of options for food and drinks. Food prices are high, but that's too be expected. $18 for a turkey leg. $12-15 for most foods, $2-5 for drinks unless it was a specialty one.

Alcohol is limited to a central fair pavilion (one of the few permanent structures used), which meant long lines. I ended up not bothering to get anything here because it would have taken too much time. I don't like to stand in lines, and this one was a LONG one. You have to buy tokens, then use tokens to get drinks. Kinda two lines, but the drink line started at the token booth so wasn't crazy. Options looked alright, some microbrewery I wasn't familiar with. I would have liked to try it, but wasn't important enough to me to wait that long. This is also one of the only places to sit in the shade. So it was often crowded and busy, as well as a musical stage. $8 per token.

There was one restroom building that was nice, though the ladies often had a line. Portapotties were plentiful. Hand washing stations had water and soap and paper towels the whole time I was there.

Overall, I'm happy with it. I think next year we'll definitely plan a day to bring the whole family and...

Highly recommend! Great food, craftspeople, and shows basically everything I look for in a faire!

Food: Hocus Smokus is a must. We got their sloppy cup which was perfect for walking around. Get baked's potatoes was delicious and I highly recommend both their lavender libation and jalapeno elixir. The Celtic society's drink options were all great, the mead was my favorite. If you're a pickle enjoyer this faire has the biggest pickles I've ever eaten. Their garlic pickle was excellent.

Shopping: I so appreciated how every stall I visited had handmade, lovingly crafted products. Really nice clothing options with Tatterdemalion being a stand out in quality. There wasn't anyone selling cheaply made massed produced junk that I saw, which has been my gripe with other faires.

Shows and attractions: so many cool shows and my only regret is not being able to catch more. Loved seeing the sleeping troll and spending time with Clan of the Raven learning about Viking history. Jewell's card reading was fantastic! So much live music all over and great interaction with cast members which added to the atmosphere. If doing the whole weekend is possible I would recommend it.

Some practical things to highlight: the parking situation was easy. Lot attendants gave good guidance. Like a lot of faires, it's a dirt and grass lot but very close to the entrance. I recommend paying for the vip parking, your car will be a little closer so you can more easily drop stuff off if you need.

Unlike a lot of other faires, they have FLUSH TOILETS! They get a gold star for that alone. And they have potable water fountains well distributed across the grounds which was helpful as it got hotter in the afternoon.

If you're visiting keep in mind how muddy the grounds can get, I recommend good shoes that can stand up to wet grass and mud. It had rained the night before and there were some places with puddles even within merchant stalls. I also would recommend a head covering and sunblock as there isn't as much shade when you're walking along paths and some of the stages have no cover. Sunburns are no fun.

NJRF is a small and mighty faire. It might not have "ye old timey" permanent structures that other bigger faires tout but it more than makes up for in quality...