Overall a great experience for different walks of life. Whether you're into the renaissance for the historical aspect or you're more into the fantasy side of things, I feel like there's something for everyone. The space itself is a good walk, they have activities, several booths, and all you'd expect at a fair. Overall a fun experience, especially for the price. read more

I wish they would bring it back. My family and friends had a great time. And we learned so much! Very educational but fun at the same time. We didn't have to worry about an NC-17 stage (XXrated) like they have at the Renaissance Fair. All aged children can attend. If you are reading this... please bring back the Nottingham Festival!!! read more

I am reviewing this now several months later because I had never been to a Renaissance Faire before, but now I have been to the big one in Irwindale, so I have something to compare it to. If you ask my son, Nottingham Festival is better than the Renaissance Faire. I think this has to do a lot with the fact that he doesn't like dust or driving far. My husband and I are torn between the two. Obviously, this was the first year for this faire, which is incredibly impressive. For the first year, I really expected a small craft faire with some food and a stage. It went WAY above my expectations. Vendors: -- Really did go to great extents to make their booths look authentic, as much as possible. -- Great variety of food, but really long lines. I don't think they were prepared to get as many people as they did. -- Prices at most of the booths were reasonable. Actors: -- Solid job! The entrance gate actors did an excellent job. -- The street actors really did a fantastic job of playing up the Queen's processional. The young woman playing the queen also looked splendid. Very regal. Truth be told, much more regal than the one I saw at the Irwindale faire. -- All the actors in all of the shows were excellent, but some of them could have been louder. Entertainment Overall: --- Better selection of shows than the Original Renaissance Faire, which mostly had music and some oddities. Nottingham had excellent plays. Most of them were rated R, which I didn't quite expect, but they were funny and most of the jokes went over my kids heads. -- Lacking in stuff for kids. The kids area was kind of a joke. You could barely tell it was a kids area. In this way, the original Renaissance Faire FAR surpassed this one, as it had dedicated shows for kids, a special "knighting" ceremony with the queen, a giant sandbox with old looking digging toys, wooden dolls and castles, crafts, etc. There wasn't really anything like this at Nottingham, which was disappointing. I hope they do something awesome for the kids next year. Atmosphere: -- Great atmosphere overall. They worked with the shade and trees to really make it seem like we had escaped Simi Valley. -- A few things could use some work, like snazzing up the fences and hiding the portapotties (Ren Faire secludes them off in a circle and labels them "Privy" which seemed better). -- Could add some more interesting stuff for crowd pleasure. Like the RenFaire had a giant Maypole and a center in which sword fighting was happening for entertainment. Something like that would be cool. Admission & Front entrance: -- Both RenFaire and Nottingham had ridiculous lines, but Nottingham really did not have the organization down. The faire opened about an hour later than it was supposed to and they had a lot of mix ups with the tickets. Some people bought tickets online and still had to wait in line to exchange them for a wristband. This seems silly. I hope they have a better system next year. -- Price was MUCH more reasonable and I felt like I got what I paid for at Nottingham, which I cannot really say the same about RenFaire. I hope the prices don't sky rocket as the faire gets better because the affordability factor was a major benefit. read more

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Overall A- for days, lots of things to do (20), 4 stages, 50 craft booths, 3 acres of shade Lots of people dressed up and most in character (300+). Does have a medieval feel 145pm Queen's Parade and 230pm Queen's Tour with Pikemen Live performance at 2pm Grand Queen's Court Stage -1pm Sword Comedy -Noon Francis Drake Play -11am Celtic Dance Penlty of Parking for your iron horse at DMV and Courthouse. (300) Overflow parking at Lemon Park, Kohl's. (500) Admission: $11-15 per day, 12 and under free Improvements -Put Queens Main Stage in center like townsquare -Restroom at back -Extend hours to 6pm or 8pm -More audience ren dance lesson or dance ball read more

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Fun and beautiful customes. well done villages. Take you back in time. Different stages of plays (shakespeare anyone?). Art & crafts for kids and adults. Fencing too!!! Dress up and be part of the kingdom. Tip: ask before you take a picture of custom/extras, courtesy and ask question who they suppose to be back a days. read more

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Pretty good for its first ever year. I'd first heard about this faire from their Kickstarter campaign, and I was happy to see it come to fruition. It was a small faire in a suburban neighborhood park (it felt funny getting out of the car in full garb in front of someone's house instead of a field or dusty vacant lot and walking to a fenced-off area in a park). I loved the choice of having this in mid-Autumn, with the mild weather this weekend. Lots of people came in garb. I saw a lot of familiar faces from Southern faire. There was a decent selection of vendors, and loads of folks in beautiful, period wear (go, Germans and Scots!). They also have a stage dedicated to reenactors portraying famous people of the Renaissance from Da Vinci, Galileo, and Columbus to Grace O'Malley, Lady Jane Grey, and Lucrezia Borgia. They would give a monologue and you could ask them questions. I've seen these more at Dickens/Victorian events and not normally renaissance faires, and it was a welcome change. There were a few things that could be tweaked: - Seemed like all the parking lots were ear-marked for vendors, so attendees were stuck competing for spaces around the neighborhoods. - They needed signage for directing people to the entrance. We nearly walked the full perimeter of the faire looking for the gate after walking through the neighborhood from the car. - Several food vendors were placed in a tight area, with the lines extending the entire walkway. Made it difficult to traverse through that part of the faire. - ATM fees were insane at $5 (not to mention what your bank is going to dock you for for using an ATM out of your system). - NC-17 acts weren't clearly marked on the program (times and acts were flipped around a bit, but that's not jarring). - While they could have stood to have more entertainment (it was their first year, so I'm not stressing this), I'd hope there'd be some sort of etiquette put in place for performers in the future. I mean this in the sense that shows were happening on designated stages, but then another act would set up shop on the lawn nearby and drown-out the stage show, competing for tips. I didn't think there was anything malicious meant in this; it just went unchecked. Still, I really enjoyed the faire. It was rewalkable. In other words I didn't feel as though I was over it on one walkthrough. Just strolling around and looking at things and people was enjoyable on its own. Also lots of shade and no dust! I definitely appreciated these aspects. read more

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This was my first Renaissance Fair, so I did not know what to expect. With that said this was a very well organized and executed event. It was fun to experience what life during this period would be. Great vendors, great cosplay, great food and drink, great characters and most importantly a great time. read more

Nottingham Festival - Amazing cosplay. - Festivals Near Me - Simi Valley, California

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This was such a wonderful experience. My friends and I are college students and had a super fun time walking around and enjoying all the entertainment at the various stages. Sword fighting (from actual fighters on the competitive USA Renaissance Knights team), improv comedy (they had a family friendly show and a more adult appropriate show later on), and miscellaneous dancers/musicians were huge highlights. All of the staff were amazing at staying in character and really added to the experience. Great prices for admission and food. We loved it!! read more

We had such a blast here over the weekend. It may not be as large as some of the other Faires, but it is a lot of fun. It would be great if it lasted more than one weekend, but it's set in a nice park with lots of vendors, a few entertainers and good selection of food and drinks. The weather was perfect and there was plenty of shade during the day. If you like to dress up like it's 1599 and enjoy a few beers in the sun with your friends... this is a great place for it. Enjoy! read more

Just left the Faire and we had an amazing time! There were 11 of us total and we all plan on going back next weekend. The entertainment on the stages and randomly throughout the Faire was great and they even had a kids corner! Big plus for the dancers taking my two year old out for spin!! read more

Nottingham Festival - David and Goliath! - Festivals Near Me - Simi Valley, California

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This was my first year attending the Nottingham Festival. I've been going to the Renaissance Faire at Irwindale for years, so I was a bit skeptical about this one, since I've never heard of it before. I loved it! I live in Porter Ranch, so it was only a 15 minute drive away - a lot closer than the 1+ hour drive to Irwindale. I like how parking is free, and not in a dirt lot... although you have to come early to get a good spot since it filled up quickly. It was A LOT bigger than I anticipated! There were plenty of vendors and a good choice of food/drink available. The space was used well and there's plenty of room to grow. Most people were in costume, which I loved. Tickets were only $14 online - very affordable. I'm glad I found out about this festival. I will definitely come back next year. I can see how this event will gain in popularity fast. read more

It was small but fun, we attended the Nottingham Festival in November 2014. There were a good number of medieval and some not so of the era costumed folks but mostly it seemed very commercial/vendor driven with mostly folks selling their wares and there was some light entertainment. A players theater troupe put on a show and there was a very interesting presentation of a barber surgeon. There was also a kids area that really young ones could sit and play with crafts or blocks. read more

This was my first time going to this Renaissance festival and had a super time Have been to southern and northern end faire many times and really enjoy it. The Nottingham was just as much fun on a smaller stage. Vendors were better prices and entertainment was excellent. Can't wait for 2017. read more

I have to admit that this is a solid 4 Star event in regards to small renaissance faires. The show gets progressively better year by year, while there are certain little experimental nit-picks that don't always work out. I've been attending since year 1 (and the food court layout fiasco for that). It was very quickly resolved. The entertainment is true to the time frame, and enjoyable. They don't get in the super huge names like Mooney, Broon, or Clan Tynker, but the entertainment they have is enjoyable. The ale stands provide the necessary refreshment of mostly beer, but sometimes they'll have a cider. The food is standard fare, WITH the exception of the Boar's Head stand (not related to the grocery store meats/cheeses, as far as I know) and their "pig on a twig". It's a pork loin that you can either get naked or covered in a teriyaki glaze (both options are good). For this year, I'm not crazy about the faire layout. Some people said it was like a wheel and spoke style, and all I kept finding were dead ends with privs, dead ends with a stage, and noticeably a LOT more views of fences. The past years had a more open layout, and this years definitely felt more claustrophobic. I was also hoping to see some vendors reprising their booths, but alas, I will still have to shop on Etsy for their goods. Overall, I will say that always I go more than once, and even though I am a patron with faire family, it's a great community faire for the area. read more

Loved it, especially for my six and a half year old son. He had a fencing lesson, and it was really quite long!!! And played games, and we are talking about Queen Elizabeth and Elizabethan history. He had an amazing lesson on how to wash clothes the Elizabethan way. Its definitely going to be a family tradition for us, going to The Nottingham Festival. My husband is from Nottingham, so of course we had to try it out. Highly recommended especially for kids. Next year we are coming in period appropriate costumes!! read more

Great for the family, and my very favorite thing to do in Simi Valley. The Queen you see in the photo is REALLY cool she was exceptionally kind to my elderly, disabled mother and made our entire trip a really memorable experience. The entire atmosphere here is great, like a tiny version of the Ventura County fair, plus historical theme, minus scary people and gang-member types. I could go on and on, but basically it is just one great big wholesome, innocent good time. read more

IT was great family fun, didn't get to see enough, so going back sat ! Great costumes , takes you back in time ! Maria C

Looking forward to the upcoming Nottingham Festival, a fantastic fall faire that presents an organic approach much like the early days of the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Exciting entertainment, great vendors and delish food. Hopefully they will expand the food booths as the lines were very long last time and more variety would be wonderful. Huzzah! read more

I was pleasantly surprised at this festival. I was not expecting much - AND IT WAS GREAT! Perfect size for our family. Felt like we could see everything and still wanted more, but was our fault for not getting there earlier (we were there about 5 hours.) I especially love that it was smaller and you could interact with actors more often. The queen was just LOVELY to my daughter and friend - they will remember this day for years. There were a lot of vendors, but equally, A LOT to do that was free and fun (I have kids so I have that in my frame of reference.) We found the vendors reasonably priced for what we were looking at as well. I like that there were only a few food vendors. I think it is distasteful when 50% of any given event is food. I had a lamb pie and it was delicious. - THe acting that I saw was funny and clever. The Merry Wives of Windsor was a singing group who was also not notch. Another commenter said the layout was weird. I thought it was PERFECT. Litlle areas to discover instead of it all laid out. I loved that the kids section was off on the side (even though we didn't discover it for hours.) Next time I know to look for it. I am knocking down one star for the following reasons: One, there were several, I don't what to say...store fronts or thematic stations, where it was just people sitting around eating and talking. That is not the problem, but when they are right in between the others giving demonstrations of medicine or armor or looms, then we are not sure who was okay to speak with and who was just going to ignore us...it was a little weird. Secondly, is the people dressed in way off themes like devils. Not sure what Ren Faire has to do with devils, and I am all for dressing up, but to me it seems like there should be a restriction to at least a time period outfit even if it is off by a few hundred years. I am almost okay with the elves, but really do you need to be so freaky. Go to some goth club with your horns. It isn't cute, it is scary to me in my 40's and for sure my kids. All in all -Go next year. Or don't...:) I don't want this Faire to get too large. read more

This is an amazing small fair. They are expanding to 2 weekends in 2015, the first 2 weekends of November. They have some of the acts and vendors you find at the larger fairs. But also some amazing local talent. Also, you can not walk a few steps without something drawing your attention. Performers, actors, singers, dancers, costumed children... So much to see! So much for the family to do! They show you how to spin wool into yarn, how to weave that yarn into fabric. We expect to see glass blowing and metal working this year, too! The shops are all hand crafted wares, one of a kind pieces of art and workmanship. The food is scrumptious, no hot dogs or hamburgers here. Meat Pies, turkey legs, fresh baked pastries, all made fresh, nothing processed, delish! Rumor has it there will be a fencing school in 2015 too! More games, more attractions... The the assortment of beers, alesm and ciders. You have to go looking if you want a domestic beer. Here they specialize in the good stuff. Bass, Guiness, Newcastle, Harp.. Hard ciders, honey mead, chocolate port, it goes on and on. They make this one drink with Guinness, cider AND chocolate port. OMG, So YUMMY! The best part! This is a NON-PROFIT festival! In March, they donated $10,000 worth of musical instruments to students in the community. Here' the Newspaper article: http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2015-04-03/Schools/Nottingham_Festival_foundation_presents_students_w.html To top it all off, they were voted best new Renaissance Festival in the United States and recognized for best educational component for the Renaissance Masters Pavilion. The RMP is a non-stop show with performer after performer taking the stage to tell you about their life and contribution. Actors portraying famous individuals like VITTORIA COLONNA: Poet Italy 1492-1547 Advanced reader of the Courtier by Castaglione, and one of Michelangelo's few female friends. CATHERINE DE MEDICI: Politician France 1519-1589, ISABELLA DE CASTILLE: Politician Spain 1451-1504 Spanish queen, ANNE BOLEYN: Politician England 1501-1536 Henry VIII's doomed 2nd wife, LEONARDO DA VINCI: Artist Italy 1452-1519 "Renaissance Man" - inventor, artist, student of anatomy, JUAN PONCE DE LEÓN: Explorer: Spain 1474-1521 Searched for fountain of Youth HERNAN CORTES: Explorer Spain 1485-1547 Conquistador who brought down the Aztecs MIGUEL DE CERVANTES: Writer Spain 1547-1616 (Wrote Don Quixote) MARTIN LUTHER: Reformer German 1483-1546 Founder of Lutherism COPERNICUS: Astronomer German 1473-1543 1st to suggest the Sun at the center of the universe. The best part? You get to ASK THEM questions! I can't wait to see what this little fair plans to do next! read more

Going to the Nottingham Festival I always find it to be a long drive whether it be my mom taking me or going on a school bus. Besides the long drive it is definitely worth it. Seeing the different style spoken of English, different clothing, different food, different items to sell, etc is just an amazing experience of the Elizabethan Era. Attending the Nottingham Festival for a 2nd year is always a great time because there is a lot to do. Personally seeing some of my classmates attend and be boring and not participate in any activities drains the mood. The times I have attended I have participated in at least one of the games they have; Jenga and juggling. If you have the feeling of experiencing something new, the Nottingham Festival would be a good choice; it is interesting and unique. Once I enter the front gate I feel the change from outside the parking to inside the actual fair. Every where you turn you see so many people dressed in the Renaissance fashion and are either singing, dancing, acting, cooking, sewing, braiding hair, painting, everything! Actors come up to you and make a conversation in the Elizabethan language and try to get you in the mood of the 16th century. The festival involves a lot of items being sold like jewelry, clothing, accessories for hair, bow and arrows, furry handbags and of course food. At first you might not feel comfortable with the whole idea of the 16th century but the people that host are very welcoming. Although it it expensive I believe it is worth it because every item there seems like a good quality and is put effort to sell to the customers. For theater students or anybody that enjoys watching a show, the Nottingham Festival also offers show times that have many choices. Some include a lot of humor and some are based on a story from that time. From all the different activities they have the highlight of the day would be the appearance from Queen Elizabeth which includes her getting carried on her throne and is suggested to bow down to her as a representation of her royalty. Its an amazing place filled with a great time. read more

On November 15,2014 I attended the Nottingham Festival with my drama class as well as some other students from school who went in order to receive extra credit. Overall, the experience of the Nottingham Festival was amazing. The atmosphere of the festival is filled with loving people, each individual is kind and ready to crack a joke which establishes a welcoming environment. This is my second year attending the festival and I can assure you that it always exceeds my expectations. Upon entering, at the front gate they provide you with a map of the festival along with a sheet with the times for shows. The sheet lists the theater are name and the time the show will be. The festival did a fantastic job in the sense that they established the entire event in an organized and precise manner in order for the people to encounter every booth and just explore everything that is offered. Therefore, you should take the time to appreciate the organization by putting their time, effort, and dedication towards for the event for the entertainment of others. I thought it was interesting to see how everyone gets so involved with the event. For instance, they dress up in their costume and play along as if it was a game which is pretty cool because it's not something you see everyday.I as well dressed up and I tried my best to keep up with the language. But most significantly, the organization accomplished far more than providing entertainment towards the audience but rather recapture and emphasize the important events from the Renaissance period in order to give off the essence of the period. Not to mention, the Elizabethan language that is spoken, the booths are decorated with the distinctive period, and the live music from the shows are all elements that create the vibe of the Renaissance period. The food was fairly pricey but this is one way the event does intend to make money. I've never purchased any type of food while I was there however I did in fact receive a henna tattoo. Aside from food the shops provide hand woven bands, leather pouches, bracelets, and weaponry. Even though the prices on these items are also pricey, yet again it's for a good cause .However, the items sold are worth buying there are handmade which adds a bit of authenticity. The location is in a park which is very clean and is fenced. The environment is kept in a good condition, not to mention, the water fountain close to the park adds a calm scenery. read more

This is a WONDERFUL traditional Ren. Faire! We had a blast! It's a very nice size faire, LOTS of great vendors that offered wonderfully handmade items, great selection! The food was top notch! Great Turkey legs and the Meat pies were awesome, I really liked the Shepperd's pie and the Curry pie! Great selection of drinks and mixes cider drinks! The entertainment was great too! Great ticket price and FREE parking! I look forward to coming back to this faire next year! read more

This was my first time going to a renaissance fair. I overall enjoyed the experience and I felt as though I had left California! The booths were believable and all the staff were very polite. I felt very welcomed and had a great time! The shows were great! The actors constantly interacted with the audience and made you feel apart of the show. (watch Passado Action Theatre at 4:15 it is amazing!!) The food was delicious but pricy! I would highly recommend bringing your own snacks and lots of water. There was never a dull moment. I was either at a show, looking at all the booths and shops or admiring peoples costumes! This was a great new experience! Everyone no matter what age would enjoy and learn a lot about the renaissance time period. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because I did highly enjoy it and have fun but everything was pricy. I would have enjoyed this festival more if free cups of water were provided. read more

On November 15,2014 I attended the Nottingham Festival, the festival overall was great. Upon entering, at the front gate one is provided with a map of the festival along with a sheet with the times for shows. The sheet lists the theater are name and the time the show will be. The festival is coated with many things to help one feel in touch with the time era like the characters keeping to the era and speaking Elizabetarian english, the names of the buildings are disguised with olden time names, and the live music from the shows always creates a olden time vibe. The food was fairly priced as the event does intend to make money. The prices are a bit "upped" but its not ridiculous. I had a large flavored slush for $5 and a turkey leg for $10. I was satisfied with both but I also had known about the prices. Aside from food one has what looks like a swap meet to purchase souvenirs from. The shops have hand woven bands, leather pouches, bracelets, and weaponry. The prices on these items are also pretty high, so one shouldn't expect low or even average prices. The items sold are worth buying because they do not feel of low quality, also most are handmade adding a bit of authenticity. The area is a higher economic area and in a nice park. The location is very clean and is fenced off. The parking lot which one will probably use is large and also very clean. Aside from the park a water fountain also adds to the scenery. read more