The smell of turkey legs, the clash of jousting knights, and the sound of bagpipes drifting through pine trees—Texas Renaissance Festival returns to Todd Mission this fall for its 51st season. But this year marks a turning point in the festival’s storied history.
For the first time since 1974, someone other than founder George Coulam will oversee the celebration. After a two-year legal battle, new ownership takes the reins of an event that draws more than half a million visitors annually to 55 acres of recreated 16th-century England, 55 miles northwest of Houston.
The festival opens October 11 and runs weekends through November 30, including Thanksgiving Friday—17 days of knights, magic, and merriment that have become a Texas tradition spanning five decades.
A Kingdom Changes Hands
The transition follows a turbulent chapter in festival history. In April 2023, Coulam agreed to sell the festival, its assets, and adjacent properties for $60 million to a group of investors including RW Lands Inc., Texas Stargate Inc., Royal Campground Inc., and Texas RF Inc.
When the August 2023 closing date arrived, Coulam allegedly went silent and failed to provide required documents. The buyers sued for breach of contract, depositing $400,000 in escrow and committing to pay $11.6 million at closing plus a $36 million promissory note for the main property.
On May 7, 2025, Grimes County Judge Gary W. Chaney ruled in favor of the buyers, ordering the sale to proceed and awarding them $22.3 million in damages plus $1 million in attorney fees.
Two weeks later, on May 21, Coulam was found dead in his Todd Mission home at age 87. Grimes County officials confirmed his death as suicide on May 28. His passing came just days after he lost his first mayoral election since Todd Mission’s 1982 incorporation—a position he’d held for 43 years.
The New Steward
Meril Rivard, president of Texas RF Inc., now leads the festival. His family has been long-time festival vendors, making this more than a business transaction.
“This whole purchase was to keep, maintain and grow the festival,” said Houston attorney Anthony Laporte, who represents Rivard. “My client has children and grandchildren involved in the festival and he is building the infrastructure to give the Texas Renaissance Festival another 50 years.”
Rivard’s commitment extends beyond profit. “It’s an inter-generational business, it’s what they like to do, it’s what they want to do and they want to protect the festival,” Laporte explained.
Festival organizers reassure patrons that operations continue as planned. “Our commitment remains unchanged: to deliver a safe, vibrant, and memorable experience for the hundreds of thousands of guests who visit each year,” festival officials stated.
A celebration of life for Coulam will take place Saturday, October 12, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at the Odeon Theater on festival grounds.
Eight Weekends, Eight Adventures
Each weekend brings a unique theme transforming the village into different worlds:
Oktoberfest (October 11-12): Journey to old Bavaria where German beer flows and lederhosen reign. Enter the daily costume contest or test your appetite in the bratwurst eating competition.
1001 Dreams (October 18-19): Faeries, elves, and magical creatures enchant the lanes. Show off fantasy costumes in the costume contest or brave the fiery dragon-wing eating challenge.
All Hallows Eve (October 25-26): Ghoulies and ghosties arrive when the Kingdom welcomes the Transylvanian court. Halloween costumes take center stage alongside the Kettle Korn eating contest for “spook-tacular” prizes.
Pirate Adventure (November 1-2): Avast, ye hearties! The most piratical party on seven seas comes ashore. Compete in the Best Dressed Pirate contest and the Fish-N-Chips eating challenge.
Heroes and Villains (November 8-9): Mighty heroes clash with dark villains from history and legend. Showcase your alter ego in costume or prove your superpower by winning the gyro eating contest.
Barbarian Invasion (November 15-16): Join the Great Horde to feast, drink, and plunder through the village. Are you the worst dressed barbarian around? Find out in the costume contest.
Highland Fling (November 22-23): Scottish culture takes over with bagpipes, kilts, and Celtic traditions filling the grounds.
Celtic Christmas (November 28-30): Father Christmas, Mother Christmas, and all the elves welcome you to a three-day yuletide celebration. The Kingdom transforms into a Christmas wonderland with holiday music, gift shopping in 400+ shops, and the pumpkin pie eating contest. Father Christmas meets children throughout the day near the festival entrance.
What’s New for 2025
The new ownership brings fresh additions while honoring tradition:
Food & Drink:
- Dubai-style chocolate from a new chocolatier
- BLT sandwiches at The Queen’s Pantry
- New cider and mead from Texas Mead Works
- Two Renaissance-themed wines from Haak Vineyards & Winery
- Upgraded Chimney Cake booth featuring a working windmill atop the new building (these Eastern European pastries in cinnamon sugar remain a festival favorite)
Glamping Upgrades: New sturdy huts from Arched Cabins offer luxury camping with 10-foot peak ceilings, plush queen beds, and camping chairs—perfect for unwinding after a day of adventure. The festival’s 200+ acres of camping facilities now blend rustic charm with modern comfort.
Entertainment That Never Gets Old
More than 60 entertainment acts perform on 21 stages throughout the 55-acre village, delivering 200+ performances daily. Watch knights joust on mighty steeds in full armor. Marvel at birds of prey soaring through the air. Laugh at jesters, jugglers, acrobats, and magicians scattered across the grounds.
As darkness falls, stay for the fire show and Royal Fireworks that close each evening at 7:50 PM—a spectacular end to every festival day.
Signature Experiences:
- The King’s Feast: Join the King and Queen for a two-hour interactive dinner theater featuring bawdy songs and a six-course feast with libations ($130-$250)
- Wyrmwood Public House: Renaissance-style speakeasy with craft cocktails, vaudeville, burlesque, circus performers, and magic acts across multiple floors (adults only, $55-$325)
- Escape Room Adventures: Solve puzzles and outwit pirates, wizards, and dwarves ($19.99-$29.99)
- Dragon Forge Experience: Forge your own keepsake guided by a master blacksmith
- Try your skills at archery, axe throwing, or Jacob’s ladder
- Ride the swings in the Enchanted Forest or spin on the DaVinci Flying Machines
Shop, Eat, Explore
Over 400 artisan shops and vendors fill the village with handcrafted jewelry, leather goods, swords, costumes, and treasures you won’t find anywhere else. Browse for hours discovering items from glassblowers, blacksmiths, woodworkers, and artists practicing medieval trades.
Turkey legs remain the iconic festival food, but you’ll find cuisine from many cultures alongside traditional German beer, wines, and mead at 12+ taverns throughout the grounds. The festival caters to every appetite with options ranging from simple to gourmet.
Planning Your Visit
When: October 11 – November 30, 2025
Saturdays and Sundays, plus Thanksgiving Friday (November 28)
17 days total
Hours: 9 AM – 8 PM daily (no entry after 7 PM)
Royal Fireworks at 7:50 PM each night
Where: 21778 FM 1774, Todd Mission, TX (between Plantersville and Magnolia)
Tickets:
- Kids 4 and under: FREE every day
- Kids 5-12: FREE every Sunday
- Adults: $14-$37 depending on day (Sundays cheaper than Saturdays)
- Advance tickets available online with discounts (sales end Friday midnight before each weekend)
- Ticket insurance available: Add $5 for one-time exchange option
- Royal Pass for multiple days or full season
NEW for 2025: GOVX discount program for military, first responders, medical professionals, government employees, and educators (verification required)
Important: No refunds, exchanges, or rain checks. Festival operates rain or shine. Tickets are date-specific when purchased online.
Camping:
- Stay and Play packages: Thursday 8 AM – Monday noon
- Kids 12 and under camp free
- New glamping huts available
- Traditional camping sites across 200+ acres
Parking:
- Preferred parking: Closest to entrance
- Valet parking available
- Handicap parking is free
A Legacy Continues
George Coulam founded Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974 with his brother David on an abandoned strip mining site. That first year saw three stages, 15 acres, and 30,000 visitors with merchants selling goods on blankets.
Fifty-one years later, the festival spans 55 acres with 21 stages, over 400 vendors, and more than 500,000 annual visitors—making it the largest Renaissance festival in the United States.
The festival was recently featured in the 2024 HBO documentary series “Ren Faire,” which followed Coulam’s eccentric lifestyle and the succession drama as he considered retirement. The series introduced millions to the colorful world behind the kingdom’s gates.
Now that transition has happened—not as Coulam envisioned, but with new stewards committed to preserving what he built while taking the festival into its next half-century.
“The Texas Renaissance Festival is well-positioned with its new ownership and management to do great things for that community, that county and Texas,” Laporte said. “We want the festival to be a huge success.”
Why It Matters
In a world of digital entertainment and virtual experiences, Texas Renaissance Festival offers something increasingly rare: tangible, face-to-face immersion in another time and place. For eight weekends each fall, half a million people escape modern life to wander cobblestone paths, watch knights joust, and lose themselves in fantasy.
The festival employs thousands of performers and vendors annually, pumping millions into the rural Grimes County economy. It’s become more than entertainment—it’s a cultural institution, a family tradition passed through generations, and for many vendors and performers, a way of life.
As new ownership takes over, the question isn’t whether the festival will continue—it’s how it will evolve while staying true to what made it special. Early signs suggest respect for tradition combined with thoughtful improvements.
The magic that drew 30,000 visitors in 1974 still works in 2025. Knights still joust. Turkey legs still taste like adventure. And for 17 days this fall, a pine forest northwest of Houston still transforms into something extraordinary.
Texas Renaissance Festival 2025
Dates: October 11 – November 30, 2025 (Saturdays, Sundays, and Thanksgiving Friday)
Location: 21778 FM 1774, Todd Mission, TX 77363
Hours: 9 AM – 8 PM (no entry after 7 PM)
Phone: (281) 356-2178
Website: texrenfest.com
Tickets: Available online at texrenfest.com or at the gate
Social Media: @texrenfest on Instagram and Facebook
George Coulam Memorial: Saturday, October 12, 6:30-7:30 PM at Odeon Theater
Pro Tip: Buy advance tickets online before Friday midnight for the best prices—they increase at the gate and after the advance sale deadline. Sundays are cheaper than Saturdays, and kids 5-12 get in free every Sunday. If you’re planning to visit multiple weekends, calculate whether a Royal Pass saves you money. And yes, those turkey legs really are as good as everyone says. Arrive when gates open at 9 AM to beat crowds and see more shows—the grounds are massive and you’ll want the full day to explore.
