Event Review – Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire In Milton, FL

By Katie Mac
March 29, 2022
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What better way to kick off my content in the new chapter here in Destin than a renaissance fair? I mean just look at my profile pic on Instagram and you’ll get that it’s my jam. This was my first event here in Florida and it didn’t disappoint. One thing I noticed before I went though, was that there wasn’t a lot of detailed information available in terms of what to expect. Of course the blogger hat came on so I could prepare a full guide. Here’s my review of the Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire so you know what to expect before you go and have some tips to make it a fun, festive, and stress-free day.

Event Review – Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire In Milton, FL

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FAQ for the Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire

Where is it located?

Santa Rosa Fairgrounds in Milton, Florida.

How long do you need there?

One full day.

Is it dog-friendly?

Dogs are not allowed.

Is it kid-friendly?

Yes.

What should you wear?

Go in costume! It’s a great opportunity to dress up and, don’t worry, you won’t be the only one.

Otherwise, wear whatever is appropriate for the weather of the day. Keep in mind, there’s not a lot of shade so you’ll be in the sun for a lot of the day.

Also wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirt on.

I wore this dress with this waisted belt and it was perfect for the hot day.

How to get there and where to park

You can use ‘Santa Rosa County Fair Association‘ in Google Maps to get to the fairgrounds.

Here are the coordinates in case the name changes in Google Maps: 30°38’35.6″N 86°57’41.1″W

As you get close to the fairgrounds, it’s well signed and you’ll start to see signage and decorations for the fair to get you in the spirit.

There’s a large parking area with lots of attendants guiding traffic, so all you need to do is follow their lead when you get there. When I visited they were collecting donations, though a donation wasn’t required to park there.

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Entrance information

This is where the tips come in handy as there was a bit of miscommunication by the organizers.

There was no messaging on the event website about entrance being cash only, yet when we arrived the entrance gates had signs up saying the entrance fee could only be paid by cash.

The majority of the crowd wasn’t prepared for this so it created a long ATM line (there was only one ATM by the entrance) and a lot of people standing in the heat getting irritated by the confusion.

As we got close to the front of the line, we found out that the ATM was broken and the entrance staff were accepting card payments (despite the sign saying otherwise.) All the confusion and extra waiting was for nothing.

My recommendation if you visit is to bring cash to avoid the chance of a hassle to get in.

I also recommend bringing cash because some of the food was more expensive if you paid with card. If you don’t mind extra fees, don’t worry about it but if you like to make the most of your money then just bring cash.

The food

Now that my biggest tips are out of the way, we can explore the fun of the event!

When it comes to food you can feast like royalty at the Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire.

There are plenty of food trucks with fair food to choose from. You know the type – deep fried everything. I actually think it’s in the constitution that there’s nothing that can’t be deep fried.

I think at a medieval fair like this a turkey leg is a must eat. It just fits the theme and mine was the best I’ve had.

I also had some great crab bites and fried mac and cheese balls.

There were also a couple of stalls with baked goodies and sweets. One stall even had cakes soaked in liquor which looked great.

To wash it all down, there’s plenty of ice cold lemonade, sweet tea, canned drinks, and some basic beers being sold.

That’s one area that I think they could improve on with this festival actually.

I think there’s a good opportunity to partner with a local brewery to sell their local beers instead of the same old stuff you get at Walmart. Also Mead needs to make an appearance at the fair.

Entertainment

You can easily spend the day walking around and checking out all the entertaining shows and displays.

The Knights of Valour jousting show is a real highlight.

The host warms up the crowd with some entertainment and jokes, then you get to watch the knights fight each other. It’s just plain cool and looks brutal since it’s full contact jousting.

Other shows you can see are belly dancing, a pirate, shooting displays, birds of prey demonstration, people telling jokes, and dogs doing tricks so there’s a bit of everything.

There are also interactive exhibits where you can try your hand at things like archery, axe throwing, mini sword making or spear throwing.