Weekends & Labor Day: September 2 - October 29, 2023 10:30 am — 7:00 pm

The ORF Blog

Renaissance Throughout Europe

What comes to mind when you think of a ‘renaissance’? You probably heard the term in school, or about works of art. We talk about someone being a ‘renaissance man’, meaning that they have a wide range of talents and knowledge. And of course every year we get hyped for the Ohio Renaissance Festival, bringing […]

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The Hidden Lives of Tudor Women

History is an endlessly fascinating subject. I’ve often thought it much maligned, especially given how much there is to be explored. Pick a time period, any time period, and imagine you could interview a hundred thousand people across the world rich or poor, young or old and ask them what it was like. You would […]

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Elizabeth in Film and Television

Elizabeth I stands out from the crowd of monarchs, being both a departure from the rest of the Tudor dynasty as well as exemplifying her family’s best (and sometimes worst) qualities. She is a complex figure, full of romanticism and intrigue as well as a staunch political figure and determined ruler. Appearing countless times in […]

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Found Families at Faire

Right now, at this very moment, millions of people are avoiding their families by spending every hour of the day in crowded stores fighting over the best bargains they can get their hands on. When they get home they’ll raid the fridge which is probably packed to bursting with a small hoard of leftovers which […]

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Keeping Busy During The Offseason

After the run ends and the lanes are emptied of guests, we tend to think of things being over until summer comes again. The truth is faire never stops. Even as we all get prepped to settle in for a long winter, ORF is pushing forward to bring even bigger changes to the grounds for […]

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Elizabethan Harvest Festivals

Winter in England was no joke, especially in the more rural communities. Seaside villages were buffeted by storms and many country villages were isolated from the larger cities when the weather was bad enough. Hard frost, freezing rain, and deep snows sometimes lasting well into April. Difficult traveling conditions often kept people at home, or […]

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