Illustration by Stef Hadiwdijaja
It’s faire season in Ohio, and nothing marks the occasion like some medieval grub. With more than 60 food and beverage areas to choose from, you’re bound to find something you like at the Ohio Renaissance Festival through November 1. If you really want to be on theme, the giant smoked turkey leg is the only way to go. Brittany Reed, ORen’s food and beverage director, says turkey legs are the most popular food item. “What’s Ren faire without a turkey leg?” she quips. Clearly fairgoers agree—the festival sells upwards of 30,000 of them every year.
In the off season, Reed and her partner-in-food-management Aaron Powell scour food shows, drink tastings, and even other Ren faires to research food and drink trends. “We try very hard to bring in new options every season while maintaining the staples everyone has come to enjoy while they are visiting the park,” she says.
And what goes best with faire noshes? Mead, of course. ORen has five mead options on site, including its most requested drink: the Queens Tea, Woodchuck Hard Cider mixed with honey mead from Akron’s Crafted Artisan Meadery. This year, the festival is adding the Alchemist Elixirs gazebo, which will serve up “starry” mocktails and “dirty style” Alani drinks for caffeine lovers.
Reed says a must-try during October is the warm brown butter tart from Aleing Knight Pub and the chili mac bread bowl from the Bread Bowl Kitchen. The chili mac is one of the festival’s secret menu items, so be sure to ask for it by name.
Ohio Renaissance Festival, 10542 OH-73, Waynesville, (513) 897-7000
