By Charly SHELTON

There’s a certain kind of commitment required to fully enjoy the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Whether it’s the costumes, the accents or the willingness to call a giant turkey leg “dinner” without irony, the Faire asks you to meet it halfway. And once you do, it rewards you with one of the more uniquely immersive events in Southern California.

Now back in Irwindale for its 2026 run, the Faire once again transforms the grounds into a dusty, bustling village somewhere between history and fantasy. It’s part stage production, part vendor market, part food festival and entirely its own thing.

The experience is less about any single attraction and more about wandering – turning a corner and finding a sword fight, a comedy act or a musician playing to a crowd that may (or may not) be entirely in character. It’s chaotic at times but in a fun way –chaotic good. You’re not really there to check things off a list. You’re there to see what you stumble into. 

That said, a couple of highlights are worth seeking out.

Tenacious D&D stands out as one of the more fun and unique shows on the circuit – a fast-moving mix of musical improv, fantasy tropes and audience interaction that sounds like it came from the Divine Duo itself: Tenacious D. The Jack Black/Kyle Gass band that brought us, among other tunes, the greatest and best song in the world (at least to this reporter) – “Tribute” – has a distinctive sound from Jack Black’s ramblings and scatting and Kyle Gass’ virtuoso guitar picking. And Randal Piper, who plays the Tenacious D&D show, captures both of their best attributes to improvise a song based on audience suggestions about a mythical hero who is sitting in the audience. 

Then there’s the joust, which remains the Faire’s centerpiece spectacle for a reason. It’s loud, theatrical and just dangerous-looking enough to keep your attention. Knights charge, shields splinter and the crowd picks sides to root for like their lives depend on it. And after several ales from the many taverns around the Faire, they’ll let the knights know who they love and who they hate – loudly.

What the Faire does best is create a space where people can fully lean into something different for a day. Between the performers, the vendors and the guests themselves who fully buy-in to the event with costumes and themed speaking, there’s a level of participation you don’t get at most events and it makes it feel immersive in a way that even theme parks can’t quite replicate.

It may not be polished and it’s certainly not subtle, but that’s not the point. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire is messy, loud, a little absurd – and still, somehow, exactly what it’s supposed to be.

The Renaissance Pleasure Faire is on now, weekends through May 17. Visit RenFair.com for more information. Costumes not required.