A few weeks ago, Steven and I took a trip to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. The Faire is in Irwindale, 30-40 minutes away from Los Angeles; quite a trek in some respects. A day at the Faire can also burn quite a hole in your pocket book, but it is definitely a fun experience.

If you’ve been to any Renaissance Faires before, you know what to expect. People dress in corsets and long dresses, funny hats and breeches to celebrate old times. You don’t have to dress up, but it’s encouraged. I’ve been to the one in Casa de Fruta in Gilroy, but I was pleased to see that this one is much larger. There are several stages with magic shows, dancing and live music. You can also participate in various arts and crafts. There are a variety of old-time activities you can participate in, such as fencing, knife-throwing, archery, javelines and much more. Steven tried his hand at archery for $5 and he got pretty good over the course of 10 arrows.

The food at the Renaissance Faire is very diverse; there’s everything from pickles to turkey legs and Mexican cuisine. Steven and I tried the meat pies, which were very soft and tasty, at $5-$7. Steven also tried the candied bacon, which was sweet and meaty at the same time. We also both had the appropriately named Sin on the Stick, which was chocolate-covered cheese cheesecake on a stick. This and the meat pies are a must try!

Another great part of the Faire is the drinks. Steven and I got different variations of beer mixed with mead and port, and for an interesting twist, we had to drink the beer while the port was poured in. That was a great way to unwind while watching the exploits of Moonie and Broon, two funny guys that perform stunts on stage. I highly recommend watching their shows at the Faire, as these guys are hilarious. After that, we watched the Queen’s Joust, with an appearance of the Queen herself.

As I alluded to before, this is definitely on a budget event. Even when carpooling and splitting the cost of parking, Steven and I both spend way over $15 when attending the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Admission to the Faire on its own is $28.95, although with some careful planning you can purchase Groupons or look out for coupons that appear for certain weekends. Walgreens also sells tickets for a discounted price. Parking is $10, and food & drinks, depending on your appetite can cost $20+.

If you do decide to attend the Faire, you still have one more weekend to do so! The Faire runs every year in the spring. I recommend that you bring lots of water, a hat and sunglasses. The Faire is in a large dam, and no matter where I walked during the faire, the sun always seemed to be in my eyes. If you do decide to dress up, realize that it will probably be extremely hot and prepare accordingly. Bring lots of cash. Most importantly, have fun!

You can see more pictures from our day at the Faire on our Facebook page. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @SurvivingLA for all the latest Los Angeles events and coupons! Have a a great week, Los Angeles!