Sunset Park's 32nd Age of Chivalry Fair Returns With Enchanted Forest, 60,000 Fans Expected

Clark County Parks & Recreation is inviting Southern Nevadans to trade the Strip for the Middle Ages this fall, announcing that the 32nd annual Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival will return to Sunset Park October 9-11. The county's promotional post teases a walk through an Enchanted Forest filled with magical fairies and curious creatures, part of a three-day event that has grown into one of the region's biggest non-gaming draws.

According to the announcement from Clark County Nevada, tickets for the festival are available through the event website, with the fair set up at Sunset Park, located at 2601 E. Sunset Rd. The festival has come a long way from its roots: it began in 1992 as a small pirate-themed gathering at Lorenzi Park, was rebranded as a Renaissance fair at Paradise Park in 1993, and moved to Sunset Park in 1994 to accommodate its rapid growth, according to Age of Chivalry.

From a Few Hundred Visitors to Tens of Thousands

What started as a niche event has since exploded in popularity. The three-day festival now draws between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors annually, a jump of more than 600 percent since its early years, when 1993 crowds numbered as few as 200 to 600 people, per the same account. That growth has helped cement the fair's status among Clark County's flagship community events.

The festival has picked up recognition along the way, including a Program Excellence Award from the Nevada Recreation and Parks Society in 2014, a Silver Award for Art and Culture in Best of Las Vegas in 2017, and a Bronze for Best Family Attraction in the 2025 inaugural Viewer's Choice Awards. The event celebrated its 30th edition in 2024 and was inducted into the Las Vegas Magazine Hall of Fame in 2025.

Nine Villages, 14 Stages and a Fishing Pond

Today's festival covers a 31-acre footprint inside Sunset Park, divided into nine themed villages — including the Royal Court, Pirate's Port, Enchanted Forest and Mercenary Narrows — with 14 performance areas, more than 100 artisan vendors and 20 food stalls, according to Las Vegas Magazine. It's a far cry from the single stage and handful of vendors that once made up the event.

Organizers also host a Free School Day on the Friday morning opening of the festival, inviting thousands of Southern Nevada students to explore medieval history through living history reenactments, combat demonstrations and educational workshops at no charge. Unlike most urban community fairs, the event offers on-site camping packages at Sunset Park, letting participants pitch medieval tents and stay overnight for the full three days — passes that are released months in advance and regularly sell out.

Gate Times, Discounts and Payment Rules

Festival gates open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with free admission for children under 6 and military discounts available at the box office. Attendees should plan ahead financially, since box offices at the event gates accept credit cards only and do not take cash.

The festival grounds sit inside Sunset Regional Park, which Clark County acquired in 1967 from the historic Miller/Houssels Ranch. The 324-acre park preserves the last remaining natural mesquite sand dunes in Paradise Valley, according to the Clark County parks department. The park also features a 14-acre fishing pond stocked with rainbow trout and channel catfish by the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and it houses the Easter Island Moai statues salvaged from the old Stardust Hotel's Aku Aku Restaurant, relocated to the pond island in the 1970s after the Strip tiki spot closed.

Outdoor Event, Outdoor Risks

Not every year has gone off without a hitch. During the October 2025 festival, heavy rain forced organizers to shut down early on Friday night before reopening the following day, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Flood damage remained minimal, and thousands of attendees still turned out for the remainder of the weekend.

Public safety at the venue also drew attention last year when Las Vegas Metropolitan Police opened a homicide probe tied to Sunset Park following an early-morning fatal stabbing at the park just ahead of the 2025 festival's opening. Sunset Park's expansive size has periodically prompted heightened law enforcement patrols during multi-day events like the Renaissance festival.

For now, organizers are focused on the festival's return this October, with tickets already available through the event's website ahead of the October 9-11 dates at Sunset Park.