Entertainment Line-Up

We introduce Rota Temporis, a pipe and drum ensemble of musicians from Italy, traveling through the United States. They are personal friends of our producer, Bobby Rodriguez, and they will present their unique sound to our village as a gift and a cultural exchange. They can be seen on our Checkmate Stage.

New for the Good Knight Pub Stage are The Reelin’ Rogues. A quartet of musicians performing high energy, traditional music and rhythms of the Celts.

Also, a returning favorite, not seen at The Florida Renaissance Festival for a few years, The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told. This show features a quartet of talented improvisational musical talents creating a unique story for each performance. This show is a valentine to musical theatre, performed with gusto by a band of misfit but loveable pirates.

Rounding out our talent on the Good Knight Pub Stage, for the first 3 weeks of the festival, we present Richard Barker, the Incredible Hypnotist. He is an author, consultant, and speaker, using hypnosis for both entertainment and therapy. An amusing and unique experience.

For the final 4 weeks of the festival, we have contracted Jim MacKenzie, a national celebrity on the Renaissance Faire Circuit, nightclubs, and stages across America. He is a beloved colleague with a reputation for excellence and high spirits. He is a comedian with Mad Skills.

Our front gate music pavilion will continue, with a variety of musical performers rotating throughout the day. Adding into this magical mix starting on the 4th weekend, Cast in Bronze, a carillon, the largest and heaviest musical instrument in the world. A carillon is defined as an instrument of 23 or more cast bronze bells, played from a keyboard. The carillon we will present to our audience has 35 bells, weighing over 4 tons. This magnificent instrument will be on display throughout the day and will perform two full sets of music at the beginning and the end of the day, as well as share a tune and chime in the hours as the festivals official timepiece.

We have expand the Joust Tavern, now christened The Lance & Shield, to include a performance space as the official home to Rover’s Way. In addition, for our Celtic Weekend, Rover’s Way will host a new beer or spirits tasting. This is a connoisseur comparison and discussion and as such will be limited to very few guests to insure the greatest detailed experience. Rover’s Way will begin their stay in our village starting the 2nd weekend of the festival. For the first week, we are very happy to bring back Arne Parrott, with his slanted viewpoint and twisted sense of humor. Mr. Parrott is the music director for The Second City improv company in Chicago, and a highly awarded solo performer around the country. He will perform as a solo act for the first weekend, and after will join Music, the Gathering in the Biergarten.

Music aside, we also will be presenting some new acts and experiences in variety. Both MooNie and Broon will be returning for the full season, sharing the Tudor Stage. For the second week only, we will feature Muttville Comix, a wildly delightful act of rescue dogs. This is a one-week special event performance.

Also returning will be the Kamikaze Fireflies on the Crown Stage. They will share the stage with a new act, representing fine comedy and the lost art of thievery. Les S. Moore, this comedic cutpurse is a repentant professional pickpocket. He’ll take your stuff, but he’ll leave you smiling and richer than before. This entertainer is a classic vaudevillian and a master of mirth.

On the Washing Well Stage, we present The Brothers Blackquill: Improvised Plays. Join Johnathan and Quentin in their quest to write the greatest play ever written. With their trusty bag of scrolls and suggestions from the audience, watch as the Brothers Blackquill create a brand-new hit play on the spot. A completely improvised show where you, the audience, get to influence the story, create the characters, and tell us what happens next!

Starting on the Once Upon a Stage and wandering throughout the area, we offer an entertainment for the whole family, The Adventure Quest. Destiny awaits, the choice is yours on this interactive “choose your own adventure” quest throughout the festival. Will you choose the path of righteousness and save the village, the path of glory and slay the dragon, or bypass the main quest altogether and go out in pursuit of treasure? Your choices will determine the very nature of your quest. Together you will solve puzzles, complete challenges, unlock achievements, make new friends, and be awarded the royal title of your choosing. Fun for all ages!

We will also further develop and expand our Pirate encampment featuring The Pirates of Torguga Bay, now to include a shipwreck stage for Buckle & Swash. As you wander through this area, Thom Bedlam can also be found lurking along this lane. In addition to all this we are also happy to announce the return of Willy Nilly and his One-Man Shakespeare, a riotous retelling of Romeo & Juliet and a new performance of Hamlet, the Prequel. This hilarious entertainer will present his twisted take on the Shakespearean traditions for the first 3 weeks of our festival.

Returning to our village for the final half of our festival, we welcome back the elegant ladies of Chaste Treasure, a trio of noblewomen who prove that the spirit of bawdy resides within us all.