Renaissance Pleasure Faire
- Dates
- Expected April 2027
- Status
- Expected
- Venue
- Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, 15501 E. Arrow Highway
- Price
- Not announced
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Aug 24, 2026
The experience
What's special
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale bills itself as the faire that started it all: a lively recreation of a 16th-century English port town spread across roughly 20 acres of shady groves and meadows at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area east of Los Angeles, with three full-contact jousts a day, hundreds of costumed performers, around 150 artisans, a pub crawl, a Queen's College, and Tea With the Queen. Running spring weekends from April into May, it is one of the largest and best-known Renaissance faires in the country, part of the same family as the Bristol and New York Renaissance faires, and it publishes a detailed Elizabethan costume guide for guests who want to arrive in period dress.
What people love
Attendees describe a huge, lively, welcoming faire with no shortage of entertainment - the jousting, the Poxy Boggards and Merry Wives of Windsor at the Rogue's Reef stage, and the Washing Well Wenches come up again and again, alongside strong vendors and a playful, costume-heavy crowd. The near-universal caveats are heat, crowds, cost, and access: spring weather swings from cool to triple digits, the faire is widely said to be oversold and very crowded (especially on Saturdays and themed weekends), food and drink run pricey, and the entry drive backs up badly - regulars arrive before 9 a.m., go on Sundays, hydrate hard, and buy VIP parking. Some long-time visitors feel it has grown more crowded and corporate over the years.
See it before you go
See the grounds
On the lanes & stages
Set in the Renaissance period. Event style: faire.
Lineup
Costumes & what to wear
Do I need a costume?
Costumes are welcomed but not required, and attendees say a large share of the crowd dresses up while plenty do not. The faire publishes a detailed Elizabethan costume guide for those who want to dress the part, and a costume rental shop (BellRose) is just inside the gate with full garb rentals; comfortable broken-in shoes and sun protection are the near-universal community advice
Costume rules
Proper family-friendly attire is required for the full visit; shirts and shoes must be worn at all times, clothing with rude, vulgar, or offensive language or images is not permitted, and multiple layers are subject to search. Guests violating the dress code are asked to add a layer or leave
Joining in
Costumed performers and cast bring a recreated 16th-century English port town to life with parades, pageants, roaming characters, and continuous stage entertainment; costumed participants must meet the faire's historical costuming requirements and complete pre-season training
Getting there
Nearest airport ONT.
How do I get to Renaissance Pleasure Faire?
Public transit 1
From LAX, take the free frequent shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, board the C or K Line into the Metro Rail network and transfer to the A Line, which runs east to Irwindale Station, about 1.5 miles from the Santa Fe Dam faire gate. Finish with a short rideshare or taxi from the station. Fares are a flat $1.75 one-way with 2 hours of transfers, capped at $5 for the day
Book / info →Taxi & rideshare 1
Driving is the simplest door-to-door option. From ONT the faire is about a 24-mile, 30-45 minute run west on I-10; from LAX it is about 30 miles east and 45-70 minutes in weekend traffic. At LAX all rideshare and taxis are consolidated at the LAX-it lot near Terminal 1 (free connector shuttle from arrivals); ONT has standard curbside rideshare pickup
Book / info →By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Use the airport transfers or shuttle options above.
🅿 Parking
On site parking available. Cost About $30 for festival parking (limited VIP tier), plus a county park entry fee collected at the Santa Fe Dam gate, bring cash for the fastest gate entry. Prepay via Festival parking is sold as a paid add-on through the faire's own ticket checkout (renfair.com/socal/tickets); VIP parking is limited and sells out. The entry drive off the 210/605 backs up badly after opening; regulars arrive before 9 a.m. to avoid multi-hour queues into the parking lots. Food and drink on site are largely cash-only with on-site ATMs
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at ONT
A good option for out-of-town visitors combining the faire with wider LA-area plans, and the simplest way in if you would rather not chain Metro rail with a last-mile rideshare. Rentals are available at ONT, LAX, and BUR. In-town Metro rail does reach within 1.5 miles of the gate, so a car is convenient rather than essential
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, 15501 E. Arrow Highway
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Renaissance Pleasure Faire?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Budget stays 1
Duarte, CA, about 6 miles / 15 min from the Santa Fe Dam along the 210 corridor
≈ $90-130 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Mid-range hotels 1
Monrovia, CA, about 7 miles / 15 min west of the faire off the 210
≈ $150-200 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Luxe hotels 1
Pasadena, CA, about 12 miles / 20-25 min southwest of the faire
≈ $350-550 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Airbnb & private camping
Vacation rentals are plentiful across the San Gabriel Valley (Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte) within a 15-20 minute drive of the faire. The faire runs spring weekends when LA-area demand is steady; book a few weeks ahead for the best rates near the 210 corridor
Search Airbnb →The Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area does not permit festival camping, and this dense LA-basin setting is not camping country. Hipcamp's nearest private-land tent and RV listings are out in the San Gabriel Mountains foothills and the high desert north of the 210, a stretch too far to be a practical faire basecamp, so a nearby hotel or rental is the realistic choice here
Search Hipcamp →Pricing
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