- Dates
- Nov 7 to Dec 6, 2026
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Woods of Mallaranny at Mallaranny Farms, 29847 FL-70 E
- Price
- Not announced
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Aug 24, 2026
The experience
What's special
The Sarasota Medieval Fair has been an annual Southwest Florida tradition since 2005 - a medieval village recreation rather than a Renaissance faire, staged each November at its permanent home since 2021, the Woods of Mallaranny: 47 acres of giant oaks, grass meadows, and winding creeks in Myakka City. Full-contact jousting and human combat chess anchor a program of shows across more than a dozen stages, with an artisan marketplace of over 140 shops, working demonstrations of blacksmithing, weaving, pottery, and historic cooking, birds of prey, a petting zoo, and a dedicated Children's Realm. Each of the five weekends carries its own theme - High Seas, Viking Invasion, Highlands, Mystical Realms, and a Saint Nicholas holiday finale - with daily costume contests at the Chess Field, and the 2026 season is built around an anniversary scenario of Vikings vs. the French at the Siege of Paris, 845 AD. Add-ons range from pub crawls and mead tastings to a feast, a masquerade, and royal weddings, and the fair doubles as a fundraiser for multiple nonprofit organizations.
What people love
Reviewers describe the fair as an unexpected delight: whip-cracking and danger-juggling acts, the Wheel of Death, the bawdy Washing Well Wenches, educational birds-of-prey shows, jousting, and human combat chess, plus axe throwing, archery, and rides that go beyond the usual fair fare. Fellow attendees in costume - fairy ears, horns, tiaras, full medieval garb - are a highlight in their own right, and the food gets warm mentions, turkey legs included. Regulars who attend both area faires say the Medieval Fair's own wooded land sets it apart. The practical cautions from attendees: the rocky natural terrain can be genuinely difficult with a walker or mobility device, layered costumes run hot in Florida weather, crowds build after the gates open, and cell service at the park is unreliable.
Last time around
The 2025 edition, the fair's 21st annual, ran Saturdays and Sundays from November 1-30, 2025, promoted with authentic reenactments and medieval traditions at the Woods of Mallaranny.
Themed weekends
Saturdays and Sundays only, November 7 through December 6, 2026, 9:45 AM to 5:30 PM, rain or shine, five uniquely themed weekends. Parking lots open at 9:00 AM, the gate ticket booth at 9:30 AM, and the Opening Gate Ceremony runs at 9:45 AM
On the lanes & stages
Set in the Medieval, Viking-Age periods. Event style: faire.
Lineup
Costumes & what to wear
Do I need a costume?
Costumes are optional and most guests come in regular clothes, though dressing up is a visible part of the fun, fellow fair-goers in fairy ears, horns, and full costume are a frequently mentioned highlight, and each weekend runs a daily themed costume contest. Weekend themes are a suggestion, not a requirement, so any medieval or fantasy look works on any weekend. Florida heat is the main caution: attendees note heavy layered costumes run hot in Sarasota-area weather
Costume rules
Guests are welcome and encouraged to wear medieval costumes suitable for a family-friendly atmosphere, but costumes are in no way required, most guests do not arrive in costume. Costumes should keep with the medieval-era theme: the fair asks guests to refrain from futuristic or sci-fi costumes. Shirts and shoes must be worn at all times, offensive imagery is prohibited, layered clothing and bags may be searched, and the festival may require masks to be removed for identification or deny admission over inappropriate attire
Weapons policy
Weapons of any kind, including guns, are prohibited. A costume sword or dagger may be permissible if properly sheathed and peace-tied, present yourself to security at the entrance. Blades that cannot be sheathed and peace-tied (broadaxes, maces, halberds, claymores, pikes, spears) are not permitted, arrows with tips are not allowed, and drawing any weapon at any time results in immediate removal
Joining in
Guests are encouraged to interact with the cast of knights, nobles, artisans, musicians, and storytellers throughout the village. Daily costume contests and themed competitions run at the Chess Field each weekend, and participatory attractions include human combat chess, axe throwing, archery, rides and games, a petting zoo, and camel and pony rides. Add-on experiences include a pub crawl, mead tastings, a Bards Brunch, the Feast of the Crown, the Masquerade of Mordred Pendragon, VIP Royal Treatment, and even royal weddings and birthday celebrations. The fair recruits performers through a casting call and welcomes volunteers
Getting there
Nearest airport SRQ.
How do I get to Sarasota Medieval Fair?
Taxi & rideshare 1
From SRQ the fair is roughly a 40-minute, ~28-mile drive east: I-75 south to Exit 217, then FL-70 east about 14.5 miles into Myakka City. Rideshare pickup at SRQ is in the Short-term lot at Row A9; Diplomat Taxi is the airport's main taxi operator. Book your return ride before the afternoon ends, Myakka City is rural ranch country with few drivers nearby, and the fair itself warns cell service at the park can be spotty
Book / info →By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Use the airport transfers or shuttle options above.
By bus
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Use the airport transfers or shuttle options above.
🅿 Parking
On site parking available. Cost Free. Prepay via None, parking is free, no prepay system. Lots open at 9:00 AM and traffic on the two-lane FL-70 approach builds by 10 AM, the fair recommends arriving early, carpooling, and picking opening weekend or Sundays for smaller crowds, with real-time parking and traffic alerts on its social channels. RV, trailer, and overnight parking are not permitted
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at SRQ
Effectively essential for fly-in visitors: the Woods of Mallaranny is deep in Manatee County ranch country with no bus, rail, or shuttle service of any kind, and parking at the fair is free. Rentals are available at both SRQ and TPA
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Woods of Mallaranny at Mallaranny Farms, 29847 FL-70 E
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Sarasota Medieval Fair?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Budget stays 2
7125 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota, FL, on the Fruitville Road corridor east of I-75
Book direct →5610 Manor Hill Ln, Bradenton, FL, Lakewood Ranch area off I-75, on the fair's western approach
≈ $114 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Mid-range hotels 1
5995 Cattleridge Blvd, Sarasota, FL, about 20 miles / 30 min west of the fair, just off I-75
Book direct →Airbnb & private camping
Vacation rentals concentrate in Lakewood Ranch and east Sarasota along the I-75/FL-70 approach, with a handful of ranch-stay rentals closer to Myakka City itself. The fair runs five consecutive weekends in peak Florida snowbird season, when Sarasota-area rates climb regardless of the fair, book the earlier weekends or well ahead
Search Airbnb →This corner of Manatee County is genuinely good camping country: Myakka River State Park's campgrounds are about 25-30 minutes southwest, and Hipcamp lists private ranch-land tent and RV stays around Myakka City and the wider Sarasota-Bradenton area, a fitting basecamp for a medieval fair weekend, since the fair itself allows no overnight parking
Search Hipcamp →Pricing
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