The Colorado Renaissance Festival transforms Larkspur into a magical medieval village every summer weekend from June 14 through August 3, 2025, celebrating over 40 years of family entertainment. This eight-weekend spectacular features hundreds of authentically costumed performers across seven stages, full-contact jousting tournaments, artisan marketplaces, and themed food ranging from turkey legs to English ales. Located just 40 minutes between Denver and Colorado Springs at 650 Perry Park Avenue, the festival offers free RV parking that accommodates larger vehicles, though arriving early is essential due to popularity. For RV travelers, the festival's prime location provides perfect access to Colorado's Rocky Mountain adventures while nearby campgrounds like Jellystone Park at Larkspur sit just four miles away. Whether you're seeking a weekend of medieval merriment or an extended Colorado camping adventure, an RV rental puts you at the heart of both Renaissance magic and Rocky Mountain beauty.
The Colorado Renaissance Festival is America's longest-running Renaissance celebration, transporting visitors back to 16th-century Tudor England through immersive theatrical experiences, authentic period entertainment, and hands-on medieval activities across 100 acres of enchanted village life.
Founded in 1976, this beloved Colorado tradition features a cast of hundreds of professionally trained performers who live and work throughout the village, creating impromptu encounters with royalty, peasantry, knights, and entertainers. Seven performance stages host over 300 shows each weekend, including full-contact jousting tournaments, comedy acts, musical performances, magic shows, and interactive theater experiences.
The festival's authentic marketplace bustles with skilled artisans demonstrating blacksmithing, woodworking, glassblowing, and leathercraft while selling their handcrafted wares. From elaborate costumes and medieval weapons to jewelry and artwork, visitors can browse authentic Renaissance goods or commission custom pieces.
Beyond entertainment, the festival celebrates period cuisine with hearty fare including roasted turkey legs, steak on a stake, shepherd's pies, fresh-baked bread, and traditional English ales and meads, creating a complete sensory journey to medieval times.
Planning your Rocky Mountain Renaissance adventure? Explore Denver RV rentals perfect for your festival journey, or discover Colorado Springs RV rentals offering mountain access just minutes from the festival grounds.
The 2025 Colorado Renaissance Festival runs eight consecutive weekends from June 14 through August 3, operating Saturdays and Sundays only from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM, rain or shine.
Each weekend features unique themed celebrations, including Fae Weekend with fairy costume contests, Artisan & Ale Weekend with beer tastings and art competitions, and Time Travelers Weekend for the grand finale celebration.
The easiest route to get to Larkspur from most major cities along Colorado's Front Range is to take 1-25 north or south. On the busiest weekends of the festival, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) implements detours and alternate driving routes. For the most up-to-date traffic information during the Renaissance Festival, follow CDOT on Twitter or online. Highway 105 is an alternative route, but the two-lane road becomes congested during peak traffic times, and lower speed limits and train crossings may slow your commute.
Parking at the Colorado Renaissance Festival is free, and the parking lot accommodates oversized vehicles such as motorhomes and RVs. All parking is first-come, first-served, so people with larger vehicles should arrive early to ensure there is space for parking and maneuvering. On the weekends, the festival is one of the area's main draws, so the parking lot becomes full early. If you are concerned about moving through the parking lot in a large vehicle, consider leaving your RV or motorhome at your campground.
The town of Larkspur is approximately 32 miles north of Colorado Springs and about 41 miles south of Castle Rock, Colorado. Larkspur is small, making transportation from the larger cities nearby challenging. If you need to take public transportation to the event, consider a rideshare or taxi, or private car service. Once you get to the parking lot, a free shuttle will take you from the parking lot to the front gate.
Festival parking is free and accommodates oversized vehicles, including motorhomes and RVs, on a first-come, first-served basis. The parking area features packed dirt surfaces suitable for most RV types, with free shuttle service from the parking area to the front gate.
RV Parking Tips: Arrive early (before 10:30 AM) for best positioning, as the lot fills quickly on peak weekends. All vehicles must vacate at close of business—no overnight parking permitted on festival grounds.
Colorado offers exceptional RV camping options near the Renaissance Festival, from luxury resorts with full amenities to scenic state park locations that showcase the Rocky Mountain region's natural beauty.
Jellystone Park at Larkspur provides the ultimate festival convenience, located just four miles from the Renaissance grounds. This 100-acre award-winning resort offers full hookup RV sites, Yogi Bear's Water Zone, heated pools, mini-golf, arcade games, and the Campfire Canteen restaurant. The park's prime location puts you one hour from both Denver and Colorado Springs attractions.
Dakota Ridge RV Resort in Golden delivers spectacular Rocky Mountain and Denver skyline views while maintaining easy access. This upscale resort features premium sites, clubhouse amenities, and proximity to Golden's historic downtown and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Colorado Springs KOA Holiday offers full-service camping with mountain proximity, providing excellent access to Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and the Olympic Training Center while maintaining reasonable festival commuting distance.
Chatfield State Park and Golden Gate Canyon State Park provide scenic camping with hiking trails, fishing, and wildlife viewing opportunities. These parks offer the perfect combination of natural beauty and festival accessibility for outdoor enthusiasts.
For budget-conscious travelers, several Bureau of Land Management areas around the region offer free dispersed camping, though these lack hookups and amenities.
Festival admission offers flexible pricing with the lowest rates available through King Soopers grocery stores, followed by online purchases, with gate prices being highest for walk-up visitors.
Single-day tickets are non-refundable but valid for any festival day during the season. Advanced online purchases offer the best value, while King Soopers provides the most affordable option for Colorado residents planning single-day visits.
Check the Colorado Renaissance Festival website for current pricing updates and special promotions throughout the season.
Colorado's central location makes it ideal for RV rentals, with major providers in both Denver and Colorado Springs offering easy access to the festival while positioning you perfectly for extended Rocky Mountain adventures.
Denver RV rental locations, approximately 45 minutes north of the festival, provide the largest selection of vehicles and convenient airport pickup options. Colorado Springs providers, about 40 minutes south, offer mountain proximity and often lower traffic routes to Larkspur.
Most rental companies offer everything from compact campervans perfect for mountain roads to spacious Class A motorhomes ideal for extended family adventures. The festival accommodates RVs in their free parking area, though larger vehicles should arrive early for optimal positioning.
Part of a Renaissance fair experience is becoming the characters who lived during the Middle Ages. When preparing for your trip to the Colorado Renaissance Festival, save room in your RV closet for your best royalty, peasant, knight, or creature costumes. If you don't have a costume, don't show up dressed in shorts and flip-flops; instead, rent an outfit from the festival's rental shop. Daggers and swords were part of everyday attire for some people in the Middle Ages; your peace-tied daggers and swords are permitted as long as you make your medieval weaponry known at the Main Gate.
Attending the Colorado Renaissance Festival as a destination along your RV vacation is the perfect way to combine two exciting summer activities into one. The best gear for the festival is your accessories. Gather up your best drinking chalices and your jeweled goblets to add the perfect finishing touch to your festival costumes by dressing the part from top to bottom.
The best gear to bring for your RV vacation to Colorado is outdoor gear. Colorado summers are generally warm during the day and cooler at night. Chilly evenings call for campfires and s'mores, so pack your folding chairs, s'mores sticks, as well as the things you will need to roast marshmallows over a wood or propane fire.
The Colorado Renaissance Festival takes place in a large open field that can become dusty and dry if there isn't any rain for a day or two. If dust bothers your allergies, pack extra tissues as well as some allergy medicine to take beforehand. You will spend the day walking, so bring supplies to help tired feet and legs feel better at the end of the day. As with any RV trip, it's always a good idea to pack a first aid kit to help with little unexpected injuries or illnesses.
When planning an RV vacation, one of the things to account for when packing your rig is the hookups that will be available at your site. Full-hookup sites allow RVers to use electricity, making the food choices much like you'd eat from home. For quick meals with less mess, consider packing an electric skillet. An electric skillet doesn't warm up the rig like an oven or propane stovetop might, and you can cook everything from fried eggs to spaghetti in a skillet.
After spending the day at the Renaissance Festival, perhaps you are ready to sit down at a restaurant and have a meal with your family. To have a home-cooked meal, stop by one of the local restaurants in Larkspur, many of which are owned and operated by families who live in town. While Larkspur is small, there are several food choices within a two-mile drive of the festival.
Bring your appetites with you as well as plenty of cash. While you may pay with a card to get into the festival, if you want turkey legs or a cold brew (served by beer gals of the day), you will have to pay the old-fashioned way. The vendors at the Renaissance Festival offer food and beverage choices that are medieval, but there are also plenty of modern food options on hand. Aside from food and drinks, don't forget to visit the artisan vendor area.
Even though era-appropriate weaponry is permitted inside the festival (if it is zip-tied for non-removal), all guests should feel comfortable knowing that safety is a top priority for every person who attends the event. Please make sure your costumes meet the safety requirements to enter the festival. All people are subject to search before entering the main festival grounds.
Guests attending the Colorado Renaissance Festival should come prepared for hot weather. High temperatures are often near 85°, and the high elevation often makes it feel even warmer outside. Because so many festival attendees wear medieval clothing, the long, thick fabric may make you feel even hotter. Come prepared with a change of clothing if you are concerned about temperatures. The great thing about visiting Colorado in the summer is that even though you may be hot during the day, the evenings cool off nicely.
Should you feel a little out of sorts during your trip to the Colorado Renaissance Festival, visit the onsite first-aid center for assistance finding the medical care you need to feel better. The cities of Castle Rock, Monument, and Colorado Springs are the closest cities with hospitals and clinics, and each city has medical care facilities and pharmacies if you need care that the first-aid clinic can't provide.
