Central Missouri Renaissance Festival
- Dates
- Apr 18 to Oct 25, 2026
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- 4274 County Rd 220, Kingdom City, MO 65262 (Callaway County fairgrounds, off I-70 at the 144/Hatton exit)
- Price
- $18
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Oct 15, 2026
Central Missouri Renaissance Festival returns to Kingdom City, MO, Apr 18 to Oct 25, 2026, with Macabre Moon Dance, Skin and Bones, The Nightingale's Nest, plus 1 more. Froligo tracks the confirmed lineup, current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
The experience
What's special
The Central Missouri Renaissance Festival is a small, volunteer-run 501(c)(3) faire at the Callaway County fairgrounds in Kingdom City, about an hour and a half from St. Louis and near Columbia. Set as a 16th-century Irish village around the year 1550, it leans educational and historical, with four stages and two sword-fighting fields, live bagpipe-and-drum music, artisan shops, and hands-on demonstrations from blacksmithing and bread-baking to Irish step dancing and historical combat. It runs three spring weekends plus a fall Harvest Faire, each with its own theme, and admission is modest at $18 for adults with children 6-12 at $10 and under-6 free. There is no jousting and food options are limited, but fans prize its friendly, uncrowded, olden-days feel. It is celebrating its 21st season in 2026
What people love
Attendees describe it as their favorite Missouri faire and a welcome, less-commercial alternative to the larger St. Louis event: smaller, friendlier, uncrowded, reasonably priced, and richer in historical and educational content. People praise the music, the shows, the room to browse the shops, and the strong costuming culture among both cast and guests. The most common criticism is limited food options, and parking is on a grass field that can turn muddy after rain
Last time around
Recent attendee accounts describe a good turnout with nearly everyone in costume, strong music and shows, and plenty of time and room to enjoy the vendors; the main disappointment reported was the limited food selection
Themed weekends
2026 runs three spring weekends (April 18-19, April 25-26, May 2-3) plus a fall Harvest Faire weekend (October 24-25), all 10am-6pm, rain or shine. Each season carries its own theme (spring 2026 was themed 'Neverland'; the fall weekend features a Harvest Festival and a Mad Hatter Tea Party in the Children's Realm)
On the lanes & stages
Set in the Renaissance period. Event style: faire.
Costumes & what to wear
Do I need a costume?
Dressing up in period garb is popular here, with many attendees as well as cast members in costume; the festival warmly welcomes patrons who come in garb
Costume rules
The festival welcomes patrons who come in garb, including costume weapons. For safety, all weapons must be made unusable: swords and sheathed weapons must be peace-bound closed, and axes or larger blades must have all bladed parts fully covered. Gate staff will help check whether a weapon is acceptable
Weapons policy
All weapons carried as part of garb must be made unusable; swords and sheathed weapons peace-bound closed, axes and larger blades fully covered
Joining in
A small, immersive faire set in a 16th-century-styled Irish village (circa A.D. 1550) with four stages and two performance fields for sword fights, shows and demonstrations, plus live music of bagpipes and drums, artisan shops, and hands-on historical demonstrations such as yarn spinning and dyeing, bread-baking in a clay oven, Irish step dancing, blacksmithing and historical combat. There is no jousting
Getting there
How do I get to Central Missouri Renaissance Festival?
By car
Most people drive to Central Missouri Renaissance Festival. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
By bus & public transit
Greyhound stops in downtown Columbia twice daily most days. It is not an airport connector, but is a genuine no-fly option for reaching the area, with a short onward drive or rideshare to Kingdom City
Book / info →Taxi & rideshare
COU is the closest airport with commercial service, about 30 minutes from Kingdom City. Rideshare picks up at the departure-level curb; local taxi and shuttle companies in Columbia require an advance phone reservation rather than a walk-up hail
Book / info →Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🅿 Parking
Cost Free.
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire
If you are hiring a car, it is worth checking parking near the venue before you go.
Search car hire →Car hire links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Where
Map shows the centre of Kingdom City. The venue's exact point is not confirmed yet.
Venue
4274 County Rd 220, Kingdom City, MO 65262 (Callaway County fairgrounds, off I-70 at the 144/Hatton exit)
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Central Missouri Renaissance Festival?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Budget stays 1
Kingdom City, MO, at the I-70 interchange
≈ $85-115 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Check rates →Mid-range hotels 2
Kingdom City, MO, at the I-70 interchange
≈ $130-170 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Check rates →Columbia, MO
≈ $110-150 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Check rates →Airbnb & private camping
Columbia carries a reasonable short-term-rental supply as a college town; Kingdom City itself has very little beyond its highway hotels
Search Airbnb →Hipcamp lists private-land camping in the mid-Missouri countryside around Columbia and Fulton, a rural alternative to a highway hotel for the fairgrounds
Search Hipcamp →Hotel links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Pricing
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