If you’re looking for a fun day trip from Detroit this weekend, you can trade the Motor City for a medieval village at the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly.
The annual festival is continuing its 2026 season this Saturday and Sunday, August 29-30, with a Highland Fling theme and a full day of live entertainment, jousting, food, drinks, shopping and interactive attractions.
Located at 12600 Dixie Hwy. in Holly, the festival grounds are roughly an hour from Detroit, making the event an easy road trip for Metro Detroit residents.
And with the festival running through early October, this weekend is just the beginning of several opportunities to experience Michigan’s medieval-inspired celebration.
When and where is the Michigan Renaissance Festival taking place?
The 2026 Michigan Renaissance Festival is taking place at 12600 Dixie Hwy. in Holly, Michigan, with the festival grounds located north of Detroit in Oakland County.
The 2026 season runs on weekends from August 22 through October 4, plus Labor Day on September 7 and Festival Friday on October 2.
This weekend is the festival’s Highland Fling weekend, so visitors can expect a Scottish-inspired theme alongside the festival’s regular lineup of attractions.
The festival is open from 9am to 7pm, rain or shine, giving visitors plenty of time to explore the grounds.
The Holly location is approximately 54-55 miles from Detroit, putting it at roughly an hour’s drive depending on your starting point and traffic.
What to expect if you’re thinking about going
The Michigan Renaissance Festival transforms its Holly grounds into Hollygrove, a 16th-century European-inspired village, where visitors can spend the day watching live performances, shopping from artisans, eating Renaissance-inspired food and interacting with costumed characters.
The festival features 17 stages of entertainment and more than 150 artisans selling handmade goods.
One of the biggest draws is the live armored jousting, which takes place three times each festival day at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. Jousting is included with general admission, so you don’t need to purchase a separate ticket to watch the competition.
There are also plenty of other ways to fill the day, including comedy, music, sword fighting, juggling, dancing, Birds of Prey performances, food and shopping.
The festival has also introduced several new attractions in 2026, including Heiðrún’s Hall, a Viking-inspired hall featuring mead tasting, and a hands-on Wizard Wand Workshop.
For those looking for an adults-only experience, the festival also offers additional ticketed activities such as pub crawls, cocktail crawls and King’s Happy Hour, although these experiences require separate tickets and some are limited to guests age 21 and older.
How to get tickets and how much does it cost to attend?
General admission tickets for the 2026 Michigan Renaissance Festival are currently $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for children ages 5-12 and $27.95 for seniors, plus fees.
Children ages 4 and under are admitted free.
Visitors can also save with special admission packages, including a Dynamic Duo ticket for one adult and one child for $37 or a Family 4 Pack for two adults and two children for $72, plus fees.
Season passes are also available for those planning multiple visits.
Tickets can be purchased through the festival’s official website, and general admission tickets are flexible enough to be used on any one festival day during the 2026 season, according to the festival’s FAQ.
There are also special promotions running throughout the season. For example, during the first three weekends, guests who donate five or more food items at the gate can receive a buy-one-get-one-free admission ticket as part of the festival’s food drive.
For Detroit-area residents, there’s an especially notable promotion later in the season: Detroit, Ann Arbor, Livonia and Dearborn residents can receive $5 off admission during Harvest Huzzah weekend, September 26-27, with proof of residency.
