Every fall, a patch of piney woods northwest of Houston turns into a sprawling 16th-century village with jousting knights, turkey legs and more costumes than a Halloween parade. The Texas Renaissance Festival opens its 2026 season this Saturday, October 10, and runs weekends through November 29, so there is still plenty of time to plan a trip.
The festival grounds are in Todd Mission, a tiny Grimes County town that essentially exists because of the fair. It’s roughly 55 miles northwest of downtown Houston, so plan on about an hour or a little more from the city depending on traffic, and around two and a half hours from Austin.
A Texas tradition since 1974
Brothers George and David Coulam opened the festival in 1974 on land that had been an abandoned strip mine, and that first year drew about 33,000 people. These days it’s one of the largest Renaissance fairs in the country, with more than half a million visitors in a typical season. The village itself covers about 55 acres, with more than 200 acres of campgrounds around it. Expect hundreds of costumed performers, stage shows from comedy to music, artisan shops, games and, of course, the full-armor joust.
2026 dates and weekend themes
The festival runs Saturdays and Sundays, plus Thanksgiving Friday. Each weekend has its own theme, and plenty of visitors dress to match. Here’s the 2026 lineup from the official ticket page:
- Oct. 10–11: Oktoberfest
- Oct. 17–18: 1001 Dreams
- Oct. 24–25: Pirate Adventure
- Oct. 31–Nov. 1: All Hallow’s Eve
- Nov. 7–8: Heroes & Villains
- Nov. 14–15: Barbarian Weekend
- Nov. 21–22: Highland Fling
- Nov. 27–29: Celtic Christmas (includes Thanksgiving Friday)
Gates are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on festival days, and no one is admitted after 7 p.m.
How tickets work
Ticket prices at TRF move around depending on the day, the weekend and how early you buy, so it pays to plan ahead. A few things to know:
- Buy online in advance. Discounted advance tickets are sold only online at TexRenFest.com. Presale for each weekend ends at midnight the Friday before. After that, tickets are sold online and at the box office at the standard price.
- Price ranges for 2026: Listed single-day prices on the official site run roughly $15 to $46 plus tax, depending on the date, ticket type and whether you add ticket insurance. Saturdays generally cost more than Sundays.
- Kids: Children 4 and under are free every day. Kids 5 to 12 are half price on Saturdays and Thanksgiving Friday, and free on Sundays.
- Parking: Parking passes are sold separately. Check the parking section of the official website for options before you go.
If you’re bringing young children, Sundays are hard to beat for value.
Tips for a good festival day
- Go early. Traffic on FM 1774 can back up on busy Saturdays, especially in November. Arriving near opening gives you easier parking and a calmer first few hours.
- Wear real shoes. The grounds are big, mostly dirt and gravel paths, and you’ll walk miles before the day is done.
- Check the weather. October can still be warm in this part of Texas, while late November mornings can be chilly. Dress in layers.
- Look at the show schedule. The festival posts a daily schedule of stages and the joust. Pick a few must-sees and build the rest of your day around them.
- Budget for extras. Food, drinks, games and shopping are paid separately from admission, so set a spending plan before you walk in.
A little festival history
TRF’s signature event is the joust, performed by the Hanlon-Lees Action Theatre troupe, and it remains one of the most crowded spots on the grounds. In 2024, the festival got national attention as the subject of the HBO documentary series Ren Faire. Co-founder George Coulam, long known around the grounds as “King George,” was the festival’s public face for decades until his death in early 2025.
Even without the backstory, first-timers are usually surprised by the scale of the place. Pick up a map at the gate, and don’t try to see everything in one day.
Good to Know
- Where: 21778 FM 1774, Todd Mission, TX 77363 (Grimes County). About 55 miles northwest of Houston.
- When: Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 10–Nov. 29, 2026, plus Thanksgiving Friday (Nov. 27).
- Hours: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; no entry after 7 p.m.
- Tickets: Cheapest when bought online before the Friday presale cutoff. Kids 4 and under free; kids 5–12 free on Sundays.
- Parking: Sold separately; see the official site.
Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the official Texas Renaissance Festival website before you head out.
Whether you go all out in a cloak and crown or just show up for the turkey leg and the joust, TRF is one of those only-in-Texas fall traditions worth doing at least once. If you’re building a whole fall calendar, our guide to Wurstfest 2026 in New Braunfels covers another big autumn party.
Featured photo: MarkScottAustinTX via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
