Austin, prepare your pirate, fae, and peasant looks: Sherwood Forest Faire is opening its gates for 2026. Festivities commence with special opening weekend events Saturday and Sunday, February 28 and March 1, and the fair runs every weekend through April 19, plus one extra day on March 20.

Although Texas is home to the massive Texas Renaissance Festival, the 25-acre Sherwood Forest in McDade is closer to home for Austinites (about an hour's drive) and equally worth a visit. In fact, it is still the 15th biggest Renaissance fair in the United States, and in 2025 it won Best Medieval Festival in the Renaissance Festival Awards, which allowed fair-goers around the country to vote for winners. The two events don't overlap — TRF is held in the fall.

According to a press release from Sherwood Forest Faire, the crew of vendors, performers, and more expect 175,000 visitors this season, which marks the fair's 17th year.

An average day at Sherwood Forest includes 150 shows — things like full-contact jousting, falconry, live music, and a castle siege — and 170 artisans. The town is permanent even though it isn't always open, with more than 100 buildings and plenty of pubs, food vendors, and stages. There are even three wedding venues.

George Appling is the event’s co-founder and will be performing in a 25-minute retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream three times a day during the duration of the faire.He said: “I'm the only fair owner that does acting, sword fighting and horse riding.

“We’ve had pirate weddings, Viking weddings, fairy weddings, anything you can think of," said the fair's co-founder George Appling in a press release; he also performs at the festival. He'll put on three 25-minute versions of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream per day, and he also does sword fighting and horseback riding performances.

“I built this business because I love it," Appling said. "I already loved castles, swords, medieval history and the music you hear at Renaissance festivals. I didn’t want to be the owner walking around in a polo shirt with a clipboard. I wanted to be in the middle of it.”

To help visitors plan their day in anachronistic fashion, Sherwood maintains a weekly calendar online. Users can select the events they're interested in and add them to their personal calendars, both on the site and exported to calendar apps. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the opening weekend, but organizers are especially eager to welcome The Wellermen, a vocal group whose sea shanty performances have gone viral on TikTok.

Other special events are scheduled for American Sign Language and Deaf-Blind Weekend on March 28 and 29. Volunteers from across the country will attend to interpret shows and activities, and some staff and cast members will also be signing.

Tickets ($16.59-33.48 for one day) to Sherwood Forest Faire are available now. Add-on options for camping and special activities are also available.