From goblets to swords, the Florida Renaissance Festival embraces the spirit of its “silver” anniversary with an impressive display of radiance and brilliance!

The landmark 25th season of the Florida Renaissance Festival will take place from February 11 to March 26, 2017 at Deerfield Beach’s Quiet Waters Park (401 S Powerline Rd, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442) and, for the second year in a row, will offer an extraordinary SEVEN theme-filled weekends, as well as a variety of fan favorite acts and performances. From jesters, jugglers and jousting knights to music, magic, mayhem and more, the 2017 Florida Renaissance Festival perfectly recreates a story-book Renaissance village.

The idea for the Festival originated in 1990 when Festival founder, Bobby Rodriguez, proposed a medieval fair as a substitute for a black-tie ball for the then upcoming Broward Center for the Performing Arts. While that event never manifested, Rodriguez decided to produce the fair himself and in 1992, the first medieval festival in Florida took place. The one-weekend show generated approximately 3,000 attendees.

In 1993, Rodriguez changed the event’s name to the Florida Renaissance Festival which took place in Snyder Park in Ft. Lauderdale. The Festival remained in that location for the next four years and grew to a three-weekend event. In 1997, the growing Festival moved to T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park in Hollywood, Florida where it remained for another four years until moving to the location it has called home for the last 18 years, Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach.

“I am extremely proud of how far we’ve come in the last 25 years,” said Bobby Rodriguez, Founder and Producer of the Florida Renaissance Festival. “In the beginning we used to look to other Ren Fairs for ideas and now many of them look to see what we come up with each year. We are proud to have the support of the county, the city and our community, and to be able to provide this entertaining, educational and cultural enriching festival for people of all ages.”

Throughout the years, Rodriguez has continuously raised the bar when it comes to incorporating new experiences into the Festival. He was the first to bring Cast In Bronze to the Renaissance Fair stage – a beautifully eerie performance conducted on a traveling Carillon, a musical instrument made up of more than a ton of bronze church bells. Rodriguez’s ability to think “beyond Renaissance” has also resulted in the booking of a variety of acts from Oriental and Scottish themes to ancient African dancers and percussionists.

Now, in its milestone 25th year, the Festival has grown into one of the nation’s most beloved events dedicated to recreating the historical era of the Renaissance times, each year adding more entertainment and themed weekends while welcoming a crowd that has swelled over the years to nearly100,000 attendees.

The Florida Renaissance Festival 2017 themed weekends include:

* Pirates’ Weekend – February 11 and 12
Debark at your own risk and be weary of land sickness during our opening weekend where the village is overrun with mateys and scallywags. Anyone not prepared for a “salty” good time will be sent to walk the plank.

* Time Travelers’ Weekend – February 18 – 20
You won’t need a passport to travel through time during Time Travelers’ Weekend. This weekend is dedicated to adventurers across the centuries and embodies the spirit of recreating the past, symbolic of the entire festival. Open on President’s Day, Monday February 20th!

* Masquerade – February 25 and 26
Everywhere you turn, peering eyes from behind a mask let you know that it’s Masquerade Weekend. Unleash your inhibitions behind the anonymity of delicately detailed masks, historic costumes and intriguing disguises! The Masquerade will keep your secrets, until you divulge your identity!

* Wenches – March 4 and 5

Behind every good man is a wench in the trench. Wenches Weekend celebrates the women of the Renaissance with hourglass curves and firey attitudes who can go toe-to-toe with their male counterparts.

* Taste of FLARF (Florida Renaissance Festival) – March 11 and 12

Eat and drink your way through the Renaissance during Taste of FLARF Weekend. It’s a feast fit for a King as you indulge in foods reminiscent of the era such as hearty turkey legs, Scotch eggs, Sheppard’s Pie and an assortment of delectable desserts. Wash it all down with traditional mead and aromatic wines that you can freshly stomp yourself from the finest grapes!

* Celtic – March 18 and 19

Sing and dance along to Irish, Scottish and English tunes throughout the Shire during Celtic Weekend. Don your finest kilt while bagpipes blare. This weekend is a must for anyone who wants to embrace and celebrate their Celtic heritage!

* Vikings and Barbarians – March 25 and 26

Viking and Barbarians weekend is when you and your Norwegian brothers and sisters can wave your battleaxes while covered in leather and fur, yelling with the fury of Odin. Only the strongest and most courageous warriors will make it through our final weekend!

The 2017 season also includes a variety of fan favorite acts and performances with an invigorating entertainment lineup that includes something for everyone.

The Florida Renaissance Festival 2017 Acts & Performances include:

* NEW – Jousting Tournaments by Debracey Productions

It’s “joust” not fair to have a Renaissance Fair without a jousting tournament. Watch on in thrill as four fully armored horsemen wield their lances and battle on the backs of racing chariots.

* NEW – Aerial High Wire Thrill Show by The Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean

The Sensational Murcia Family high wire act thrills and delights with their fearless storytelling display of a never-ending battle for a treasure map, all while suspended on a thin wire cable 30 feet in the air over the top of a huge pirate ship!

* NEW – The Roving Blades

A talented and passionate group of singers and musicians performing Celtic and maritime tunes.

* NEW – The Greatest Pirate Story NEVER Told

Described as “Pirates of the Caribbean” meets “Whose Line is it Anyway”, this delightful musical production about a crew of misfit pirates relies on the audience to help them tell them improvise a brand new musical adventure.

* NEW – Empty Hats
An amusing variety of street characters and quartet of musicians whose are musically gifted with deep Celtic influence.

* Returns for 2017 – Tortuga Twins
A traveling comedic act that delights and entertains crowds with a variety of acts and antics! The “twins” consists of four passionate entertainers ready to tickle your funny bone.

* NEW – Carolina Celli
Comprised of 4 members from differing musical backgrounds, who come together to make Celtic music their own. From rousing fiddle tunes, to traditional and original songs and ballads with beautiful 4-part vocal harmonies, to contemporary arrangements of old favorites, Carolina Celli brings a unique and crowd-pleasing sound to the world of celtic music.

The Florida Renaissance Festival is produced by the nationally acclaimed Bobby Rodriguez Productions and strives to create an entertaining and cultural experience for adults and children alike. The sponsors of the 2017 Florida Renaissance Festival include Comcast, Warsteiner, Guinness, Pepsi-Cola and Walgreens.

The Florida Renaissance Festival at Deerfield Beach’s Quiet Waters Park will be open weekends beginning February 11th from 10 a.m. to sunset through March 26th. Also open on President’s Day, February 20th.

Prices range from 21.00 for adults and $9 for children ages 6 to 11 years of age. Discount tickets also available at Walgreens for $17 for adults (save $4) and $8 for children (save $1). Children 5 and younger are free. Special seasonal passes are available for $75 and group ticket rates are also offered.

While costumes are not necessary for admittance, thousands of people each year enhance their experience by donning garb from the Renaissance era, or participate in one of the festival’s special themed weekends.

For tickets and more information visit: ren-fest.com; Find us on Facebook: Florida Renaissance Festival; Follow us on Twitter: FlaRenFest and Instagram/flarenfest. If you prefer the historical method, call 954-776-1642.