Kansas City Renaissance Festival
- Dates
- Sep 5 to Oct 18, 2026
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- 633 N 130th Street (adjacent to Azura Amphitheater)
- Price
- $19 to $28
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Aug 24, 2026
The experience
What's special
Founded in 1977 as a benefit for the Kansas City Art Institute and marking its 50th season in 2026, the Kansas City Renaissance Festival fills a permanent village of long-standing structures 15 minutes west of downtown Kansas City, drawing around 200,000 visitors across seven themed weekends - from a pirate-themed opening to a Viking invasion, a dog-centric Barktoberfest, and a haunted Halloween finale. Jousts run three times daily, admission includes free parking and all stage shows, and the festival is unusually dog-friendly, selling $10 dog tickets with proof of vaccination. The same grounds host the Knights of Lights holiday light festival later in the year.
What people love
Long-time attendees describe a nostalgic, permanent village where the same buildings and even some of the same acts and vendors have anchored the site for decades, and the cast has a reputation as one of the most interactive around - characters who pull visitors into the fun, from jouster banter to a princess knighting young visitors. Compared with sibling faires, regulars credit it with more vendors, more permanent structures, and more adult-oriented evening-style shows alongside the family fare. The gripes: costs add up quickly beyond the gate, food lines run long at peak times, ATMs carry double fees, the main 130th Street entrance backs up badly (locals use the State Avenue gate or time visits to football Sundays), and some recent-season visitors report fewer roaming performers and more mass-produced goods than in years past.
Last time around
Attendee accounts from the 2025 season are mixed: some describe an attentive, in-character cast and days that still felt magical for families, while others note fewer roaming cast members, longer lines, and more 3D-printed and resale goods among the vendor booths than in earlier years.
See it before you go
See the grounds
Themed weekends
Open Saturdays and Sundays September 5 through October 18, 2026, plus Labor Day (September 7) and Monday, October 12; hours 10 am to 7 pm (10 am to 5 pm on the October Monday), rain or shine; 16 festival days across seven themed weekends
On the lanes & stages
Set in the Renaissance period. Event style: faire.
Costumes & what to wear
Do I need a costume?
Dress runs the full range, regulars compare the crowd's variety to a comic convention, and everyday clothes are as normal as full garb. Costumed attendees are a big part of the scene, and complimenting someone's outfit is standard faire etiquette
Costume rules
Costumes are not required but encouraged; the festival asks that they stay family-friendly and avoid anything that could cause a safety hazard, such as masks that obstruct vision. Costumes and attire may not be offensive, obstructive, violent, or otherwise objectionable; children may wear masks
Weapons policy
Guests may wear a sword or dagger as part of a costume, but it must be sheathed completely with no part of the blade showing and secured
Joining in
Interactive characters throughout the village; guests may not perform or pose for pictures for other guests for payment or tips. Volunteer guest-performance slots (choirs, martial arts, dance, and acrobatic groups) are offered through the entertainment office
Getting there
How do I get to Kansas City Renaissance Festival?
By train 1
No rail reaches Bonner Springs or the airport. Amtrak serves Kansas City Union Station downtown (30 W. Pershing Rd), about 20 miles east of the festival, useful for rail arrivals on the Chicago-Los Angeles or St. Louis corridors, with a ~25-30 minute rideshare for the final leg west to the faire
Book / info →By bus 1
Intercity coaches reach downtown Kansas City, MO, about 20 miles east of the festival. No scheduled bus continues to Bonner Springs on weekends, finish the trip by rideshare or rental car
Book / info →Taxi & rideshare 1
Rideshare is the practical airport connection: apps pick up at MCI's arrivals curb (purple signposts 2K-2N), taxis near the yellow columns (3A-3D). The festival is about 28 miles southwest of the airport in Bonner Springs; admission includes free parking, and the grounds share lots with the Azura Amphitheater, so drivers know the site
Book / info →🅿 Parking
On site parking available. Cost Free (included with admission). The festival shares the large Azura Amphitheater lots at 633 N 130th Street. The main King's Gate entrance is on 130th Street between State Ave and KS Highway 7; a second Queen's Gate entrance sits at 126th St and State Ave. No overnight parking on the grounds
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire
A weekends-only faire 28 miles from the airport with no scheduled transit to the site and free on-site parking, a rental car from MCI is the simplest option for fly-in visitors, and puts the Legends/Kansas Speedway hotel and dining cluster 10 minutes away
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
633 N 130th Street (adjacent to Azura Amphitheater)
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Kansas City Renaissance Festival?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Budget stays 1
Bonner Springs, KS
≈ $70-95 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Mid-range hotels 3
Bonner Springs, KS
≈ $120-160 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Bonner Springs, KS
≈ $100-140 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Kansas City, KS (The Legends / Village West)
≈ $150-200 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Luxe hotels 1
Kansas City, KS (near Kansas Speedway)
≈ $200-320 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Airbnb & private camping
Short-term rentals are thin in Bonner Springs itself but plentiful across the western Kansas City metro (Shawnee, Kansas City KS, and the Legends area). The faire runs seven September-October weekends including Labor Day; Kansas Speedway race weekends can spike prices across the same hotel-and-rental corridor, so check dates against the Speedway calendar and book Saturday nights early
Search Airbnb →No camping at the festival, but campers have real nearby options: the festival itself points to Walnut Grove RV Park in Merriam and the Lawrence KOA, both within 25 miles, and Hipcamp lists private-land campsites across eastern Kansas within an easy drive of Bonner Springs
Search Hipcamp →Pricing
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