Todd Mission, Texas, August 24, 2025
News Summary
The Texas Renaissance Festival will return for its 50th season in Todd Mission, Texas, featuring new attractions and ongoing events despite recent ownership changes. Scheduled from October 11 to November 30, 2025, the festival will include classic experiences like jousting and turkey legs, alongside new offerings such as a royal feast and enhanced blacksmithing demonstrations. All vendor contracts are finalized, ensuring a vibrant festival filled with food, crafts, and performances for over half a million expected visitors.
Todd Mission, Texas — The Texas Renaissance Festival will return for its 50th season from October 11 through November 30, 2025, holding to its status as the largest Renaissance fair in the country while unveiling new signature experiences and continuing operations amid ongoing legal matters surrounding recent ownership changes.
Key details and schedule
The festival, located in Todd Mission, Texas, approximately three hours from San Antonio, is scheduled to run for seven weeks in the fall of 2025. Organizers plan to offer traditional staples such as turkey legs, staged jousting, and open marketplaces, alongside new signature attractions listed for 2025 that include a royal feast experience and expanded blacksmithing demonstrations. All vendor contracts for the 2025 season have been confirmed as in place by legal counsel handling related matters.
Current status amid ownership and legal developments
The festival’s public profile increased after a dramatized docuseries aired in 2024, which brought renewed attention to the event. That visibility coincided with legal disputes that resulted in the festival’s sale and were followed by the passing of founder George Coulam in 2025. Despite those developments, festival management and legal representatives have stated that contracts and operational plans for 2025 are set, and the event will proceed as scheduled with the stated lineup of vendors and activities.
Attendance and scale
The Texas Renaissance Festival draws more than half a million visitors each year. The grounds have expanded substantially since the festival’s first season — growing from an initial 15 acres to over 70 acres. The site now includes a recreated 16th-century English village, designated camping areas, and multiple rides and performance spaces.
What to expect on site
Attendees can expect a mix of food, craft, performance, and interactive offerings. Classic elements such as costumed performers, marketplace merchants, staged combat and jousting remain central. The new additions for 2025, including a formalized royal feast and curated blacksmithing demonstrations, are positioned as signature experiences intended to complement existing programming rather than replace established attractions.
Origins and growth
The festival began 50 years ago with a modest footprint: three performance stages and a roster of small improvisational troupes and independent merchants. Over five decades the event expanded in physical size and scope, drawing larger crowds and developing into a multi-week regional destination with extensive on-site infrastructure for performances, vendors, and camping.
Operational continuity
Legal counsel has indicated that operational agreements for the 2025 season are finalized, which keeps vendor participation and many production elements intact despite the legal and ownership transitions of the prior year. The festival’s stated aim is to preserve its annual schedule and deliver a consistent experience to visitors while legal matters are resolved.
Context and implications
The convergence of heightened media attention in 2024, ownership changes, and the death of the founder in 2025 marks a moment of institutional transition for the festival. The confirmed schedule and vendor contracts for 2025 reduce immediate uncertainty for patrons and merchants, while the broader legal processes and the recent sale may shape administrative and programming decisions in subsequent seasons.
Practical information such as ticketing, detailed schedules, and site maps are expected to be released or updated ahead of the October 11 opening. Attendees planning travel should note the festival’s rural location and expanded site footprint when arranging transportation and accommodations.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where will the 2025 Texas Renaissance Festival take place?
The 2025 festival will run from October 11 through November 30 in Todd Mission, Texas, located roughly three hours from San Antonio.
What new experiences are planned for 2025?
New signature experiences announced for 2025 include a royal feast and expanded blacksmithing demonstrations, added alongside classic offerings like jousting and marketplaces.
Is the festival proceeding despite recent legal and ownership changes?
Yes. All vendor contracts for the 2025 season are reported to be in place, and organizers plan to proceed with the scheduled dates while legal matters continue.
How large is the festival site and how many visitors does it attract?
The festival has grown from an original 15 acres to over 70 acres and draws more than half a million visitors annually.
What is the history behind the festival?
The festival began 50 years ago with three stages and small improv troupes and merchants, expanding over decades into a multi-week event with a recreated 16th-century English village, rides, and camping areas.
Key features
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 11 – November 30, 2025 |
| Location | Todd Mission, Texas (approximately 3 hours from San Antonio) |
| Scale | Over 70 acres with a recreated 16th-century English village, rides, and camping |
| Annual Attendance | More than 500,000 visitors |
| New for 2025 | Royal feast and blacksmithing experiences |
| Operational status | Vendor contracts for 2025 confirmed; event planned to proceed amid legal matters |
Timeline
| Date/Time | Event | Status / Source |
|---|---|---|
| Circa 1975 | Festival founded with three stages and small improv troupes | Historical origin (50-year history) |
| 2024 | Dramatized docuseries increased public attention | Media coverage and raised profile |
| 2024–2025 | Legal disputes and festival sale | Resulted in ownership changes |
| 2025 | Founder George Coulam passed away | Reported event in founder’s timeline |
| 2025 (preseason) | All vendor contracts confirmed for 2025 | Legal counsel report |
| October 11 – November 30, 2025 | Festival scheduled to run its 50th season | Official schedule |
Simple statistics
Annual attendance and site growth visualized (relative scale):
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HERE Resources
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Additional Resources
- CultureMap San Antonio
- Wikipedia: Texas Renaissance Festival
- MSN Travel
- Google Search: Texas Renaissance Festival
- Houston Chronicle
- Google Scholar: Texas Renaissance Festival
- KBTX
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Texas Renaissance Festival
- Houston Chronicle News
- Google News: Texas Renaissance Festival
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