16 Best Foods To Try At Your Local Renaissance Faire

Hear ye, hear ye — the season of post-Medieval revelry, historically accurate garb, and an unholy level of mead consumption is upon us. I'm talking, of course, about the Renaissance faire. The concept started back in the 1960s and has grown into a phenomenon with a cult-like following since. There are hundreds of Ren faires around the United States with the largest festivals located just outside major cities. Chances are, you won't have to travel far for some old-timey merriment.

Folks flock to the faire for the bizarre and spectacular live performances, the handmade artisan crafts, the chance to dress up in extravagant period costumes, and of course, the food. The food at Renaissance faires combines some historically accurate dishes with classic fair foods. This results in a unique, amalgamated cuisine that's very specific to these festivals, with all large festivals offering many of the same dishes.

I've spent the past 14 years working at my local Renaissance faire, including over four years spent on the road, working at large faires all over the U.S. on a full-time basis. I've made it a habit to spend my downtime scouring whichever festival I'm working, on the hunt for delicious foods. Through my hunger-fueled conquests, I've compiled this list of the best in Ren Faire meals, snacks, desserts, and treats. Use this list before your next venture to guarantee a feast at your local faire that extends far beyond the humble turkey leg.

Scotch eggs don't actually have roots dating back to the Renaissance (or to Scotland, for that matter) but their handheld, rustic nature perfectly fits the vibe of Ren Faires. The dish is thought to have been created in the 1700s, with some claiming it was born in India, while others credit the English with inventing the savory treat. Nevertheless, Scotch eggs aren't commonly found on restaurant menus around the United States, and they're not the easiest thing to make at home, making them one of the most delectable indulgences that you're guaranteed to find at faire.

Scotch eggs consist of hard or soft-boiled eggs covered with minced, seasoned sausage. The concoction is then breaded and fried, creating a small, portable snack loaded with rich, umami flavors that are delicious on its own or with various dipping sauces. You'll usually find Scotch eggs at the Ren faire at small shacks dedicated to the little morsels, or sometimes at taverns and pubs.

A good pickle is an incredibly satisfying snack, especially when the weather is scorching hot like it tends to be at many Renaissance faires. Pickles provide electrolytes from sodium, magnesium, and potassium, which become depleted in the body when it's sweating or moving around a lot; two things that you're guaranteed to be doing at faire.

The pickles at the Renaissance faire are known to be massive, extra crunchy, and mild in flavor. They — like many other treats at faire, you'll soon discover — are sometimes served on a stick, so dirty hands won't compromise the pickles' healthy properties and turn them into a petri dish on a stick.

If you're craving a pickle, keep an eye out for giant pickle barrels scattered around the lane. The barrels are usually accompanied by a loud, joyous hawker who can be heard across the fairgrounds peddling their pickles, so you likely won't have to look around for long. They may even give you a splash of tasty pickle juice to sip on if you ask nicely and leave a generous tip.

Miniature donuts make a convenient, poppable treat that's ideal when you're planning a full day at the faire and want something sweet to snack on in between meals. While mini donuts aren't as prevalent at Renaissance faires as other foods on this list, they can still be found at a few large faires around the country, and they're often made by highly experienced artisan bakers and come in a variety of tempting flavors.

Unlike donut holes, the mini donuts at faire resemble tiny versions of regular donuts, with holes in the center and all. Apple cider mini donuts from Dave's Mini Donuts are perhaps the most iconic treat at the New York Renaissance Faire, one of the largest faires in the country. If you find yourself at this faire, you can snag a free sample before you commit to a whole order. You can also find these little sugary doughnuts at dessert-centric booths at other large faires.

It may not be the healthiest snack at the Ren faire, but it's definitely one of the most delicious. Fried mac and cheese isn't a Renaissance faire-specific food, and it's far from period-appropriate, but it's definitely a classic festival food that shouldn't be missed.

Like many foods at Ren faire, fried mac and cheese often comes on a stick, as small, triangle-shaped, breaded nuggets — so now, when you spot a hand-painted sign that reads "Macaroni and cheese on a stick," you don't have to be confused about the physical logistics of suspended pasta.

These creamy, cheesy pasta morsels are usually fresh from the fryer and therefore wildly hot, so be prepared. You may want to consider this treat on chilly faire days because it'll warm you up from the inside out.

Turkey legs are undoubtedly the most famous Renaissance faire food (we won't talk about the fact that turkeys are native to America and definitely weren't a common food in 16th-century Europe). Despite being victim to rumors that the meat is made from pork, turkey legs are in fact made from turkey, although they taste very similar to pork. Turkey legs are soaked in a curing solution that gives them a briney, extra-juicy taste and texture. After they've been smoked, their wood-fired flavor also contributes to this pork-like taste, and it turns the meat pink.

Turkey legs are the one food that you're guaranteed to find at every Renaissance faire. They're easy to munch on as you walk around, although they tend to leave a greasy mess, so try to avoid bringing them into shops with expensive items or touching public surfaces with turkey-leg hands. I recommend taking a seat at a picnic table and eating one with a fork and knife for maximum cleanliness and enjoyment; don't worry, no one will judge you.

Renaissance faires are mostly known for their boozy beverages, but there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks that refresh and replenish kids and adults alike. One of the best icy-cold drinks at faire is frozen lemonade. You can usually find them wherever coffee is sold, but sometimes pubs and taverns have blenders to crank out alcoholic versions of the drink; just ask for yours with no booze.

Frozen lemonade is made with simple ingredients — just ice, water, sugar, and lemons. At many faires, the ingredients are blended up fresh rather than made with an artificial powdered drink mix. The sweet, citrusy, frozen drink trumps regular lemonade on a hot day because it stays frozen and chilled for much longer, and it won't taste watered-down as it melts.

Bread bowls are probably my personal favorite Ren faire food, largely due to their variety, especially at the Texas Renaissance Festival. This festival is the largest Renaissance Faire in the world, and as such, has some of the best, most sprawling food options. At this faire, colloquially known as TRF, bread bowls abound at Admiral's Bread Bowls with soup fillings like broccoli cheese, chili, potato soup, gumbo, and Polish stew. There are also plenty of non-soup bread bowls at TRF, like spinach and artichoke dip, meatballs and marinara, and red beans and rice.

You can find bread bowls filled with comfort food meals scattered around other faires, too, usually wherever soup is advertised. Although soup is the last thing you'd want to be eating while walking around a hot festival, it's absolutely worth it to sit down and savor this thick, hearty, usually homemade dish.

Chimney cakes are a Hungarian dessert with roots dating back to Medieval times. You can think of them like a less greasy, archaic version of funnel cakes. Like funnel cakes, chimney cakes are heavily associated with festivals and open-air markets where they're cooked on rotating spits over a live fire. Yeasted dough is rolled around a cylindrical spit, creating swirled dough with a chewy interior and golden, crispy outer texture.

You can find chimney cakes at Renaissance faires around the country, including at TRF, where they're made by hand. Watch as expert bakers craft your spiraled treat right before your eyes and hand it to you fresh off the rotisserie, but not before coating it with a mouthwatering cinnamon-sugar mixture. Chimney cakes are tasty on their own, but at TRF you'd be remiss not to try them filled with Nutella, caramel sauce, ice cream, or homemade apple strudel.

Jerky is one of the most popular Renaissance faire snacks, and for good reason. It's easy to wrap up leftovers and store them in your bag or pocket for later; it doesn't leave your hands a greasy mess; and it provides nourishing salts and fats that are necessary for a day spent in the hot sun. It also makes a great snack if you're really aiming to feel the 15th-century vibes since jerky has been enjoyed in Europe since ancient times.

It doesn't stop at just plain old beef jerky at the Ren faire. Some faires have wide selections of cured meats, ranging from different cuts of beef to exotic meats, like ostrich, alligator, and bison. You can always find hawkers trudging through the fairgrounds selling beef jerky, or you can stop at one of many carts where a boisterous employee may offer you samples of the different types of jerky for sale.

A day at the Renaissance faire can be a wallet-draining experience, and that's where cheap, simple snacks come into play. While kettle corn's origins aren't exactly rooted in the Renaissance era, hot and fresh kettle corn is one of the most affordable, easy-to-eat, classic snacks at the Ren faire.

Kettle corn at the Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Texas Renaissance Festivals also makes a great snack option for vegans (a rare find at the Ren faire). It's made with just corn, oil, sugar, and salt, and prepared fresh throughout the day. Along with kettle corn, some faires also offer sweet and crunchy caramel corn at their kettle corn booths. I spent three seasons making and selling kettle corn at the Colorado Renaissance Festival, cranking out batch after batch all day long, so I can attest to its freshness. Look for a small kettle corn booth or keep an eye (and an ear) out for hawkers selling bags of corn off of huge sticks; they're usually found roaming the grounds or at shows just before they begin.

It feels like a modern creation, but fish and chips actually has roots that date back to the early Renaissance period, although not in England, like most people would assume. Fish and chips is believed to have originated in 15th-century Portugal, making it a perfectly acceptable, historically-accurate food for the Renaissance festival.

I'll admit that the quality of fish and chips varies significantly from faire to faire, but plenty of large festivals offer a hot and fresh take on the pub classic. The fish is extra flakey and coated with a thick, not-too-greasy breading. The "chips" that accompany the fish can either be freshly made potato chips, large steak fries, or potato wedges. Portions are frequently perfect for a mid-day meal that won't fill you up so much that you're ready for a nap, and the simple, fried staple is usually less expensive than more eclectic Ren faire meals.

Pierogi are not only period-appropriate, but they're also easy to eat while on the go and are made with hearty, rustic ingredients, making them exceptionally apropos for the Ren faire. The origins of pierogi are murky, but they're thought to have been created as far back as the 13th century either in Central or Eastern Europe.

Pierogi are similar to dumplings in that they consist of dough wrapped around a filling. Potatoes and cheese usually make up this filling, although you can find pierogi stuffed with meat, vegetables, and even sweet ingredients.

You'll typically find pierogi at booths specializing in Polish cuisine, but some faires sneak them in at booths with other European dishes, like fish and chips and bangers and mash. The pierogi at faire are usually packed to the brim with savory filling; I recommend opting for the classic potato-and-cheese variety if you're at a faire that serves pierogi. Inquire about any potential dipping sauces when you place your order; you might be able to snag some sour cream or horseradish mustard.

You wouldn't expect coffee from the Renaissance faire to be particularly spectacular, and you'd be right; most food-focused booths that offer coffee serve the cheap stuff that was brewed in a large vat early in the morning. But some booths offer organic, fair-trade certified coffee and espresso that's brewed fresh throughout the day. The most noteworthy of these coffee shops is the Cappuccino Inn, which is a full-service coffee bar specializing in any café creation you could fathom.

Espresso from the Cappuccino Inn, with locations at most major faires, is mild, nutty, and flavorful, and makes a robust americano or a bold and sweet mocha. I tend to opt for a red-eye (known as A Shot in the Dark here) just before my work day begins for a liquid energy boost that doesn't taste bitter. The café is stocked with 50 flavor syrups, so you don't have to worry about stopping off for your favorite coffee drink before you head to the festival.

Steak is clearly a Renaissance-era appropriate treat and a universally loved one at that. Most Renaissance faires offer thin-sliced beef on a stick, whimsically referred to as steak on a stake, and it's exactly what it sounds like.

Although it's pretty straightforward, without frill and funky flavors, grilled beef on a stick is a convenient, hearty treat to enjoy while walking the grounds. The meat is typically grilled fresh to order, which separates it from a lot of other Ren faire meals and snacks that are made in advance. The steak is seasoned with a hint of spice and black pepper and carries a nice smoky flavor from being grilled over a live fire, making it absolutely delicious on its own, though ask about any potential sauces for dipping or drizzling, because this steak pairs well with just about anything.

If you're on the hunt for a sugary, plant-based snack that you can pick at throughout the day, look no further than a sack of candied, roasted nuts — cheekily dubbed "The King's Nuts" at most faires. You'll find at least one small shack selling candied nuts at every large faire. They usually offer almonds, pecans, and cashews, all coated with a sweet, cinnamon-infused crunch, in small or large sizes. These snacks are among the more expensive at faire, but they're absolutely worth it.

Unlike candied nuts from a grocery store or snack stand at a gas station, the sugary nuts at faire are usually roasted on-site, and if you grab a bag early enough, they're still delightfully warm. I always stick a bag in my pocket to snack on throughout the day, providing much-needed calories and an energy boost. Don't forget to grab a bag for the car ride home; these snacks travel better than most other faire foods.

Meat pies are perhaps the most historically-accurate food served at most Renaissance faires. Just about every culture stakes its claim in a savory pie, usually stemming from ancient times. The concept of a pastry shell filled with meat can be traced back to early civilizations around Europe and North Africa.

Meat pies at the Renaissance faire make an ideal, handheld meal to eat on the go, which is perfect if you're looking for something filling but have a show to catch. You can find a vast variety of meat pies at faire, and the larger the faire, the wider the selection. There's pulled pork, curry, shepherd's pie, and plain beef pies, just to name a few. The quality of meat pies varies at faires, with some obviously frying theirs from frozen. But some faires craft their savory pies by hand, so ask at the counter before you order some to make sure you're getting a taste of the good stuff.

I've worked at the New York Renaissance Faire every summer since 2011 and spent four continuous years traveling the United States from Arizona to North Carolina, working at Renaissance Faires all over the country. I've made and sold food at some faires and have had the pleasure of enjoying almost every dish that's widely found at all large Renaissance festivals.

I based this list primarily on my personal experiences eating at faires. I combined the majority of the best-tasting, highest-quality meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic drinks found at most festivals into one comprehensive guide while aiming to address historical accuracy. While not every dish on this list will be available at every Renaissance festival in the country, you can count on finding the majority of them at your local faire.

At most open-air markets and festivals, food options consist of low-quality, previously frozen, fried snacks, but what sets Renaissance faires apart from other festivals is their dedication to handmade, high-quality artisan goods. Some foods at Ren faires fit this bill, while others lean more toward typical fried, cheap festival cuisine. So, for most of this list, I chose foods that are prepared fresh on-site, demonstrating what makes Renaissance faires conspicuously distinct. I set aside my personal preferences to keep this list strictly to the best quality foods that are most celebrated by Ren faire employees and patrons.