I’ve always liked dragons and all things medieval, yet I’ve let the annual Scarborough Renaissance Festival pass me by every year. Last week, though, I finally went.
It runs from April to May in Waxahachie, 30 miles south of Dallas, Texas. And even if you’re not a total geek, the festival is a good time.
Like the State Fair of Texas, the renaissance festival has a variety of foods and games, both for kids and adults. But unlike the Fair, I found it to be much more dynamic, with the renaissance festival hosting a variety of comedic performances.
And despite the crowds, I also found it to be much more relaxing than the Fair. Lines for food were shorter, and beer and wine were easily accessible. You can walk around and catch the performances or just hang out at one of many makeshift taverns located on the festival grounds.
Food and beverages are reasonably priced, making it easy to get tanked while at the festival. Handmade wares range from fair to relatively expensive.
But by far the best part is the costumes. Festival-goers dress up in elaborate garb, complete with giant swords and cleavage to match.
Take a camera and equip it with your best telephoto lens. That’ll give you the best opportunities to take candid photos of anyone in costume. It also makes it easier to photograph the jousting battles, which, of course, are fenced off.
I used a Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 for all of my shots.
Also worth mentioning is the “Tournament of Images” photo contest they have every year. You can submit entries to various categories, and there’s no limit to the number of entries allowed. Check out some of my entries below:

















