: Steady, aim, fire! at the upcoming Renaissance Festival archery competition
Test your accuracy at the Festival’s archery competition during the Harvest Huzzah weekend.
Fall into lifelong memories at the Michigan Renaissance Festival's Harvest Huzzah weekend! This weekend is known for its BBQ championship and archery competition.
The Festival turns harvest-y down in the Valley of Aberdare! Patrons will find an array of handmade goods in the Harvest Market. Be sure to try the delicious samplings of some of the best BBQ in Michigan as pitmasters gear up for the annual BBQ Championships on Sunday. The returning champions, Hog Wild BBQ, will try to retain their title for a chance to win cash prizes in categories such as beef ribs, pork ribs and sausage. Although they won first place, the other BBQ joints are to die for!
Patrons can enter the annual Michigan Renaissance Festival Archery Competition. Competitors will shoot their best while the Rising Phoenix Archery team hosts and scores the event. Each competitor who registers will receive two tickets into the Festival for the day they compete.
Feast like a king! There are so many different food options to choose from. Whether your mouth is watering for one of our enormous smoked turkey legs, a veggie burger, calzone or a barbarian-style burger, there is something for everyone! Our newest eats this year come from our all-vegetarian booth and our booth from around the world — grab some veggie kebabs or sweet and sour chicken and feed your appetite!
As always, the pub crawls will be in full force marching through the streets of Hollygrove on a mission to drink the best beer in the land! Each pub crawl comes with a commemorative mug, a leather strap that gets pounded at each pub with a metal stamp to serve as a beer passport, and entertainment like no other! The group leading the pub crawl will take patrons on a guided tour around Hollygrove to four of our best pubs at which they get their mug filled to the top!
Patrons can down a couple cold drinks and chicken wings all while enjoying the bawdiest of Hollygrove! The bawdy entertainment mixed with beer and snacks has become a must-do once you arrive inside the gates. The Castle closes its doors at 5:45 p.m. each day to keep the innocent public away!
Cowboy Doug takes patrons through the ins and outs of pigging and swigging during the Pig N Swig each day! Indulge four different kinds of gourmet bacon paired with four different kinds of whiskies/bourbons. We turned it up a notch in the Crystal Palace this year as this event used to just be beer and bacon! This is a great midday event to take the edge off!
The Joust Tournament will take place at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. each day! This is a longtime fan favorite. Though it is a show, the jousters actually hit their opponents with the goal to knock them off of their steed. This show attracts men, women and children of all ages — it's the real deal!
Harvest Huzzah weekend is special to those who appreciate the change in weather here in Southeast Michigan. As the grounds are decorated with hay bales, corn stalks, pumpkins and gourds, everyone can step into an autumn-feeling festival to kick off a new season! And as the weather starts to cool, warm cider and donuts are a favorite on the grounds of the Michigan Renaissance Festival.
The Michigan Renaissance Festival is open on Saturdays and Sundays through September 30, plus Friday, September 28 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., rain or shine. Discount tickets are available at Kroger, Menards and Goodwill. Discount coupons are available at Subway, Big Boy and Tim Hortons. Free parking is provided by Randy Wise Automotive Team.