Do you love medieval history? Then you’ll love what Sleepy Hollow in Des Moines, Iowa has to offer – a permanent renaissance village!

The gates of a village and the towers of a castle rise up in the early morning mist. There is a stir about the place - as the sun burns the mist away, the village comes alive with the sounds of hammer and anvil, hooves, and indistinct voices.
The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow / Facebook
It's 10:00 a.m. and the Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow in Des Moines, Iowa has just opened the gates to bring you back in time.
The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow / Facebook
At least for a taste - you can keep your comfortable shoes and prescription eyeglasses when you enter these gates, and there’s no fear of a rival lord attacking while you visit.
The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow / Facebook

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Sleepy Hollow is Iowa’s only permanent village venue for renaissance festivals. That simply means this place is more than tents set up in a field, which makes it feel even more like stepping back in time. There are actually period houses and castles to walk among here!
The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow / Facebook
While the village is permanent, the Renaissance Faire activities are not.
The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow / Facebook
Renaissance festivities typically run the first 3 weekends in September, including Labor Day for the Fall Flair. Each weekend will have a theme such as "Celtic Ceilidah,"  which celebrates Celtic and Highland culture. There is also a Spring Fling event for two weekends in May. Each weekend in the spring is also themed, such as "Gathering of the Sails," which is all about pirates.
Well-loved staples such as jousting, mead, turkey legs, musicians, vendors, and kings and queens can be found at Sleepy Hollow.
The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow / Facebook

Visit the Sleepy Hollow website to learn more about which weekend and activities might appeal the most to you, or just to get the latest scoop on all the events! You can also find them on Facebook. And believe it or not, although Sleepy Hollow boasts the only permanent village of its kind in Iowa, it’s not the state’s only RenFest!

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Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow, 4051 Dean Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317, USA