Willy Nilly on-the-Wash is the permanent home of the Ohio Renaissance Festival in Waynesville, Ohio. Buildings housing the many shops and artisan work spaces are in the style of 16th century Tudor with exposed wooden beams. This is where fantasy and history collide.

Text and Photos
By ROD KING
Guest Columnist

WAYNESVILLE, OHIO — Here I am being pushed along the gravel streets of this 16th century English village of Willy Nilly-on-the-Wash in my wheelchair. There’s a whirl of activity around me. There’s a man swallowing a sword, two burly guys are having a serious-looking sword fight to the death, and in the distance I catch sight of two knights in armor charging toward each other on horseback with lances aimed at each other. This has got be a dream.

No. It’s actually the Ohio Renaissance Festival in Waynesville, Ohio, where fantasy and history collide. It’s where you can rub elbows with elegant nobles and raggedy peasants. Here you can immerse yourself in a world of lively shows, tantalizing food and drink and unique shops (166 of them) which transport you back to the time of knights and queens. You can even purchase a sword.

Highlighted at the raptor show was this red-tail hawk. Owls, falcons and various others performed.

If entertainment is what you seek, there are 17 outdoor stages with regularly scheduled shows featuring costumed musicians, comedians and acrobats. Among them are the Washing Well Wenches, Dirk and Guido, The Swordsmen and the Kamikaze Fireflies. There are more than 100 shows presented daily. And that doesn’t count the wandering street musicians. Visitors never want for something to do here. It’s non-stop activity almost to the point of sensory overload.

I’m fascinated with the jousting, even though I know the ends of the lances have been cut so they splinter when striking the opponent’s shield. The jousting arena is just like in the movies, with a special box for royalty. The thundering hooves as they charge each other, the cheering of the crowd and the splintering of the lances make for an exciting climax.

People watching is part of the show. Nobles in long dresses and topped off with jeweled crowns stroll the grounds. Here comes a fashionably-dressed woman on the arm of a man in colorful waist coat, a feather plume in his hat and a knife at his belt. And these are the paying customers.

At least 70% of the crowd was in costume. Some dressed as sci-fi characters, others in fairy-tale garb and lots of knights, pirates and Vikings.

Contributing authenticity and realism to the scene are the 16th century Tudor-style structures surrounding the property, which house the shops and artisan work spaces. The style of architecture, which utilizes exposed beams, was developed during the reign of the Tudor monarchy.

Willy Nilly is a permanent facility rather than a grouping of tents erected at a county fairgrounds, school parking lot, football field or in a private woods.

How could you not have fun in a place called Willy Nilly on-the-Wash? The shows are rollicking fun, lots of hands-on things to do and the food is tantalizing. Normally, I’d urge you jump in your car and head for Waynesville to get in on the fun. But, all of the themed weekends through the end of the year are sold out.

My suggestion is to visit ohiorenessancefestival.com or call (513) 897-7000 to order tickets for your choice of weekend in 2025.

You can participate in Highlander games, mix it up with time travelers, Vikings and pirates, enjoy a weekend of comedy, or the feast of fools, and Halloween tricks or treat.