Texas Renaissance Festival kicks off with Queen’s birthday party

 

The Queen and King of the Texas Renaissance Festival.

While it may be good to be the King, it’s every bit as deliciously enticing to be the Queen.

This year the Texas Renaissance Festival is honoring her majesty by celebrating her birthday during the opening weekend, Oct. 7-8, at the festival grounds in Todd Mission. I recently had an audience with her highness and she shared with me her delight at having such a recognition of her special day and explained how the celebration came to be.

“The King wanted to throw his wife a fancy celebration for her birthday,” she said. “It’s going to be a wonderful time. We want you to come out and celebrate with us. That would be the best birthday present ever!”

The celebration will be in conjunction with the traditional Oktoberfest theme which kicks off the eight-week run of the festival. Naturally, a dual celebration calls for a special drink. Brigadoon Brewery is crafting a special beer just for the occasion. They can be found left of the main entrance by the Odeon stage.

This is the 49th season for the Texas Renaissance Festival and it is the 23rd for Rosella Gonzales in her portrayal as the Queen of the Festival. Each year brings something new and different, and this year is no exception.

“The Queen’s Pantry has expanded their booths and are offering new foods, new drinks and such in that area. And we have several new vendors as well,” the Queen said.

She noted that many vendors are preparing specials to help celebrate her birthday.

“They (TRF) wanted to add something a little different that will give the vendors something to work with,” she said.

To find out exactly what, one must accompany the royals as they prepare to greet tens of thousands of guests each weekend. If you can’t make it to this weekend’s birthday celebration, don’t worry, as there will be seven more themed weekends of medieval merriment, mischief, and mayhem. Next up is 1001 Dreams weekend (Oct. 14-15), followed by Pirate Adventure (Oct. 21-22), All Hallows Eve (Oct. 28-29), Heroes and Villains (Nov. 4-5), Barbarian Invasion (Nov. 11-12), Highland Fling (Nov. 18-19), and concluding with Celtic Christmas (Nov. 24-26).

Among the highlights of the festival are the jousts, live music, stage acts, scrumptious morsels of all kinds for your dining pleasure, games, rides, escape rooms, fireworks, costuming, unique vendors, and so much more. For TRF veterans and virgins alike there will be a lot of new things to experience this year. The big thing is the Dragon Forge Experience where guests get to wield the hammer to forge their own metallic piece. Walk-ups are welcome or you can schedule a time at www.dragonforgeexperience.com/.

Although there has been camping at New Market Village for years, this year there is a Stay and Play option that includes weekend tickets and everything from rustic camping to rental RVs and luxury glamping tents. New entertainment acts include Wolgemut (pronounced Volga-moot), Opal the Fairy, and Fakespeare, a fast-paced comedy show. Many favorite vendors are back along with several new ones.

The Texas Renaissance Festival has been a big part of our lives ever since my family moved to the Houston area in 2008. Our first visit was in 2009 and we have not missed one since. My wife and three of my children have worked there before. I’ve been covering it for newspapers and look forward to it every year. We’ve also gotten to know the King and Queen, some of the knights of the joust, and a few of the other performers and shopkeepers over the years.

TRF for us is like a seasonal home away from home. Like any family, you have to take the good with the bad. Although it is a “family friendly” event with things for children there are also a lot of adult-only options. There is plenty of smoking and vaping by guests on the grounds, which for me is very annoying. Some guests tend to over imbibe, but are mostly well behaved. In the early weeks the weather can be very hot and the latter weeks pretty cold. Generally, the weather is great in Texas this time of year.

So, if you’re looking for some entertainment and adventure, a day or weekend at TRF just might be the escapism you and your family need. Come on out and maybe we’ll see you there. If you’re lucky, there may even be some birthday cake this weekend. God save the Queen!