(Editor’s note: The video above was shot prior to COVID-19 and is used to show what the festival is all about.)

The gates of Newcastle open this weekend.

The Georgia Renaissance Festival typically opens on the weekends in April and May each year. Last year, the festival postponed those dates to the fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but ultimately ended up cancelling those as well.

But organizers announced earlier that this year’s event is a go. The festival opens this weekend and will operate the weekends of May 1-June 13.

“Your safety is our priority,” a release about the new dates stated. “We are ready to bring the Festival back to life and we know you are ready to come out and have a great time. As we reopen the entire village, certain COVID protocols will be in place to ensure the festival is as safe as possible for all of our guests and participants. These protocols include mandatory mask wearing, temperature checks, social distancing, and the use of handwash stations and hand sanitizer. We ask that everyone follows the posted safety policies and procedures during their visit.”

The event will feature the food and drink festival-goers have enjoyed for years along with skilled artisans and entertainers.

For those who purchased tickets in 2020, those tickets will be honored for the 2021 festival. Anyone who bought their 2020 tickets prior to April 2020 will get two tickets for each ticket they purchased.

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This year’s themed weekends include pet-friendly weekend, wizarding weekend, pirate invasion weekend and cosplay weekend.

Cox Media Group