Knights and fairies are getting some new company on the fairgrounds. The Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha County has turned one of its weekends into RennCon, a cosplay costume party that layers anime heroes, sci-fi icons and fantasy fandoms on top of its usual Elizabethan setting.
The event, located near both Chicago and Milwaukee on more than 30 acres of grounds, built RennCon Weekend around fan-favorite trivia and a costume-focused maypole, according to TMJ4 News. Attendees can test their knowledge with Percy Jackson trivia and Avatar: The Last Airbender trivia, and the weekend welcomes cosplay pulled from science fiction, anime and other imagined realms, not just the faire's usual medieval cast of characters.
A Costume Party Built Around a Cosplay Maypole
RennCon Weekend is billed as a cosplay costume party at its core, per the station's report, with the maypole tradition reimagined as a showcase for costumed fans rather than a strictly period-dressed affair. It slots into the Bristol Renaissance Faire's 2026 season, which runs through Labor Day Monday, September 7, giving visitors several more weekends to catch the crossover programming before the grounds close for the year.
The faire's broader lineup has leaned further into pop-culture territory in recent seasons. According to Visit Kenosha, the 2026 schedule also added a Summerween weekend in early August and a Romantasy Weekend featuring Bridgerton Trivia and a Sunset Ball, joining longtime staples like Pirate Weekend and Cottagecore Weekend. Visit Kenosha notes that these theme weekends reflect a deliberate industry shift among Renaissance faires to merge historical fantasy with anime, sci-fi and pop culture, aimed at drawing younger crowds while keeping the fair's Elizabethan backbone intact.
Set in 1574, Now Sharing the Stage With Modern Fandoms
That Elizabethan backbone runs deep. The festival's storyline recreates a summer day in 1574 during Queen Elizabeth I's historical visit to the port city of Bristol, England, a narrative that guides hundreds of costumed cast members across the grounds, according to Visit Lake County. Cast members complete what the faire calls Cast College training to keep their period dialect and historical context consistent throughout the season.
The faire's Kenosha County home draws serious crowds for a regional event. FOX6 News Milwaukee has reported that the nine-weekend summer run attracts an estimated 200,000 to 225,000 visitors annually, pulling from across southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. That kind of turnout has made the Bristol Renaissance Faire one of the county's marquee draws alongside events like Country Thunder, as Kenosha County has posted record tourism revenue for four straight years, generating $488 million in economic impact in 2025 alone, a 7% jump over 2024, per Visit Kenosha.
Tickets and Planning for the Rest of the Season
For those planning a visit, the faire offers tickets and additional information through its own ticket page. Single-day adult admission for the 2026 season runs $48, with child tickets for ages 5 to 12 priced at $23 and full-season passes available for $275, according to the faire's site. Superfans can also opt into a $175 Friends of Faire VIP membership, which includes access to a private shaded garden, private restrooms and dressing rooms, discounted guest tickets and specialized Elizabethan history seminars, though a separate admission ticket is still required to get through the gate.
The Bristol Renaissance Faire has operated in some form since 1972, when it launched as King Richard's Faire under founders Richard and Bonnie Shapiro as a four-weekend event drawing roughly 10,000 visitors, according to Wikipedia. It was sold in 1988 to what is now parent operator Renaissance Entertainment Productions, which also runs the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo and two Renaissance Pleasure Faires in California, per SEC filings. Gates for the Kenosha County event are open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. across all nine remaining weekends of the season.
