Festival Maxxing
Max your Festival day with our curated itineraries—packed with shows, food, shopping, and adventures!
WEEKEND MAXXING
Don’t Just Festival. Festival Maxx.
Two days. 17 stages. Endless side quests.
How much Hollygrove can you MAXX?
One day at the Michigan Renaissance Festival? You’ll have an amazing time. Two days? Now you’re Festival MAXXING.
We’ve created the ultimate two-day quest through Hollygrove. Hit the legendary must-dos on Day One, then come back for Day Two and dig deeper into everything you walked past, didn’t have time for or didn’t even know existed.
DAY ONE — MAXX THE CLASSICS
9:00 AM – GATE-OPENING MAXX
Get here when the gates open and experience that first burst of Festival energy as Hollygrove comes alive. Grab your entertainment schedule, get the lay of the land and start plotting your day. You have 17 stages and an entire Realm ahead of you. Go!
10:00 AM – GARB MAXXING
This isn’t the grocery store. You can be a knight, Viking, fairy, pirate, royal, rogue, witch or something entirely of your own creation. Dress up, meet our characters, admire the incredible garb around you and take plenty of photos. No costume? No problem. Hollygrove has plenty of opportunities to start building one.
11:00 AM – TREASURE MAXXING
Time to shop! Explore Hollygrove’s incredible Artisan Marketplace and hunt for handcrafted leatherwork, jewelry, pottery, clothing, artwork, weapons, décor and wonderfully unusual treasures. Fair warning: “I’m just looking” doesn’t always last very long around here.
12:00 PM – FEAST MAXXING
You’re at a Renaissance Festival. Lunch should be legendary. Grab the turkey leg you’ve been thinking about since you walked through the gates or hunt down another Festival favorite. Sweet, savory, fried, grilled, enormous or wonderfully over-the-top—this is not the day for a boring lunch.
1:00 PM – JOUST MAXXING
Hear the thunder of hooves. Feel the crowd erupt. Watch knights battle for glory. Pick your champion and GET LOUD. You haven’t MAXXED a Michigan Renaissance Festival day until you’ve experienced the Joust.
2:00 PM – SIDE-QUEST MAXXING
Here’s where things get interesting. Take on Ninja Warrior. Try a Festival game. Wander into a themed-weekend competition. Follow the sound of music. Talk to a character. Discover something completely ridiculous and decide you absolutely have to do it. The best Festival memories aren’t always planned.
3:00 PM – STAGE-HOPPING MAXX
You have 17 stages. How many have you actually visited? Comedy. Music. Dancing. Storytelling. Daring feats. Beautifully bizarre entertainment. Pick a stage you’ve never visited and give somebody new a chance. You may discover the show you end up talking about all year.
4:00 PM – HOLLYGROVE HIDDEN-GEM HUNT
You’ve been here seven hours. Think you’ve seen everything? Not even close. Take a road you haven’t traveled. Explore the corners of Hollygrove you passed earlier. Look for the unusual, unexpected and wonderfully weird. Consider this your official permission to wander.
5:00 PM – JOUST: FINAL BOSS
You’re going back. By now you’ve chosen your allegiance, so return to the Joust Field for another clash of steel, thundering horses and roaring crowds. This time, cheer like your knight’s honor depends on it.
6:00 PM – THE “ONE MORE THING” MAXX
You know that moment when everyone says, “Okay, we should probably start heading out…”? Ignore it. One more show. One more shop. One more drink. One more snack. One more photo. One more stroll through Hollygrove.
7:00 PM – REALM MAXXED: DAY ONE COMPLETE
You came. You feasted. You jousted. You shopped. You side-quested. And you still didn’t see everything. Good thing there’s tomorrow.
DAY TWO — UNLOCK THE REST OF HOLLYGROVE
9:00 AM – ROUND TWO: UNLOCKED
Welcome back, adventurer. Yesterday was about the classics. Today, we’re going deeper. Take a different route when you enter. Turn the opposite direction. Visit the places you skipped yesterday and start looking for the things you didn’t even realize you missed.
9:30 AM – ROYAL-TREATMENT MAXX
Upgrade your adventure. Try one of the special experiences that takes you beyond the traditional Festival day. Take a Hawk Walk, experience a Royal Event or find another immersive adventure that makes Day Two completely different from Day One. Some experiences require separate tickets, so plan this side quest ahead!
11:00 AM – ARTISAN DEEP DIVE
Yesterday you browsed. Today, meet the makers. Talk to the artisans. Ask how something was created. Watch demonstrations. Learn about traditional crafts and discover the stories behind the incredible handmade pieces throughout Hollygrove. There’s a lot more happening inside those shops than shopping.
12:00 PM – TURKEY LEG? BEEN THERE.
Day Two means no repeats. Okay…unless you really want another turkey leg. Otherwise, this is your chance to eat your way outside your comfort zone. Try something you’ve never ordered. Share a few dishes with your crew. Find the food booth you smelled yesterday but never made it back to. Food side quests absolutely count.
1:00 PM – THEME-WEEKEND MAXX
Every weekend at the Michigan Renaissance Festival brings something different to the Realm. Highland Games. Vikings. Irish Heavy Games. Belly dancing. Archery. Costume contests. BBQ. Special competitions and experiences. Whatever is happening during your weekend, Day Two is when you dive in.
2:00 PM – THE 17-STAGE CHALLENGE
Seventeen stages. How many can you check off? Find a stage you missed yesterday and sit down for a show you know absolutely nothing about. No research. No reviews. No expectations. Just take the side quest.
3:00 PM – CHOOSE YOUR CHAMPION
You’ve seen the Joust. Now experience it differently. Change your vantage point. Pick another knight. Bring somebody who hasn’t seen it yet. And yes, you’re allowed to be louder on Day Two.
4:00 PM – LOOT BEFORE YOU LEAVE
Remember that thing you almost bought yesterday? This is your sign. Make one last journey through the Artisan Marketplace and find the treasure that will remind you of your MAXXED weekend long after you’ve left Hollygrove.
5:00 PM – THE LAST FEAST
You have one Festival meal left. Choose wisely. Return to the food you can’t stop thinking about or make your final meal one last culinary side quest. And yes, dessert counts as a separate course.
6:00 PM – THE “HOW DID WE MISS THIS YESTERDAY?” SHOW
There’s always one. That performer. That stage. That attraction somebody tells you, “You HAVE to see.” This is your last chance. Find it. Grab a seat. Enjoy the show.
7:00 PM – MAXXED. QUEST COMPLETE.
Two days.
17 stages.
Jousting.
Feasting.
Shopping.
Characters.
Artisans.
Shows.
Side quests.
And probably at least one completely unplanned adventure.
You didn’t just visit the Michigan Renaissance Festival.
You FESTIVAL MAXXED.
Quest complete.
…until next weekend.
FOOD MAXXING
Don’t Just Feast. Food Maxx.
One day. An entire Realm of food. Only so much room.
Think you can Food MAXX your way through Hollygrove?
Come hungry, bring your crew and remember the first rule of Food MAXXING: sharing means you can try more.
9:00 AM – BREAK-THY-FAST MAXX
You have an entire day of feasting ahead of you, and you’re going to need fuel. Start your morning with an all new breakfast sandwich and something to drink while you map out the day’s culinary quest. Consider this your warm-up. The serious eating hasn’t even started.
10:30 AM – THE “I’LL JUST HAVE A BITE” SIDE QUEST
You know how this works. Someone in your group gets something that looks amazing. You say, “Can I just try a bite?” Suddenly everyone is ordering one. Follow your nose, share with your crew and start checking foods off your Hollygrove must-eat list. Food MAXXING is a team sport.
12:00 PM – TURKEY LEG: MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY
There are Festival foods…and then there’s THE Festival food. Grab a legendary turkey leg and proudly carry it through Hollygrove like the Renaissance royalty you are. No utensils required. No explanation necessary. This is Food MAXXING.
1:00 PM – JOUST & MUNCH
Next quest: find something portable. Grab a Festival snack, like Bacon on a Stick, Pretzel bites with Beer Cheese or Cheese Curds and a refreshing drink, like a dirty soda or a mocktail and make your way to the Joust Field for thundering hooves, clashing steel and some enthusiastic snacking. Bonus points if you can cheer for your knight without dropping your food.
2:30 PM – SAVORY SIDE-QUEST UNLOCKED
Turkey leg conquered. Now it’s time to get adventurous. This is your chance to skip your usual order and hunt down something you haven’t tried before. Explore the food booths, follow that incredible smell you’ve been noticing all day and order the thing that makes you say, “Okay…I HAVE to try that.” It’s Steak on a Stake! That’s how Food MAXXING discoveries are made.
3:30 PM – DEEP-FRIED MODE: ACTIVATED
Welcome to the Golden Crown Deep Fried Delights: Beignets, Funnel cake, or Deep-fried cookie dough. Choose one…or assemble your crew and try them all. At this point, we’re not counting. We’re MAXXING.
4:30 PM – THE SWEET-TOOTH SIDE QUEST
You didn’t think we were skipping dessert, did you? Hollygrove is filled with sweet temptations, so follow your cravings and find something worthy of your final stretch. Hunt down an Apple Blossom, Giant Cinnamon Roll, Deep Fried Oreo, Funnel Fries, Cannolis, Brownie Sundaes, Ice Cream or another decadent Hollygrove dessert you’ve somehow managed to resist all day.
And remember: dessert doesn’t replace dinner.
It’s a separate quest.
5:30 PM – “WAIT…WE HAVEN’T TRIED THAT YET!”
This is the dangerous part of Food MAXXING. You’re walking through the Realm, completely satisfied, when someone spots another food booth. Then come the five inevitable words: “Wait…we haven’t tried that yet!” You know what to do.
6:30 PM – THE FINAL FEAST
You’ve been eating your way across Hollygrove all day, but there’s room for one final favorite. Go back for the thing you can’t stop thinking about. Share it with your crew—or don’t. No judgment in the Realm. Raise a glass to a gloriously delicious day. Because tomorrow you can go back to eating normally.
Probably.
FOOD MAXXED. QUEST COMPLETE.
Savory conquered.
Sweet devoured.
Turkey leg achieved.
Deep-fried decisions were made.
Regrets? Absolutely none.
You didn’t just eat at the Michigan Renaissance Festival.
You FOOD MAXXED.
Now the only question is…
What did you miss?
FAMILY MAXXING
Don’t Just Make Memories. Family Maxx.
One Realm. A full day of adventure. Endless family side quests.
How much Hollygrove can your family MAXX?
Grab the kids, don your finest garb and prepare for a day where wizards, knights, fairies, animals and adventures are waiting around every corner.
Parents, this quest is for you.
9:00 AM – LITTLE ADVENTURERS: UNLOCKED
Get through the gates early and let the kids watch Hollygrove come alive! Grab an entertainment schedule, choose a few family must-dos and let everyone pick one thing they absolutely HAVE to experience. Congratulations. Your family quest has officially begun.
10:00 AM – WIZARD MODE: ACTIVATED
Every young wizard needs a wand. Head to the Wizard Wand Workshop where kids can create their very own FREE magical wand and add a little enchantment to their Hollygrove adventure. Once the wand chooses the wizard, there’s no telling what kind of magic might happen next.
11:00 AM – CREATURE ENCOUNTER SIDE QUEST
Time to make some furry friends! Visit the Petting Zoo and take a break from knights and royalty to meet some of Hollygrove’s four-legged residents. Warning: convincing the kids that the animals cannot come home with you may be your most difficult quest of the day.
12:00 PM – FEED THE ADVENTURERS
Even knights, fairies and wizards need lunch. Take a break and let everyone choose a Festival favorite before the afternoon adventures begin. This is also an excellent opportunity for Mom and Dad to sneak in a little Food MAXXING of their own. Refueled? Good. Because you’re nowhere near finished.
1:00 PM – JOUST: FAMILY FINAL BOSS
Hear the thunder of hooves and the clash of steel! Find your seats, choose your knight and let the kids CHEER. The Joust is one of those larger-than-life Festival experiences that feels even more magical when you’re seeing it through their eyes. Pick a champion. Get loud. Family MAXXING requires enthusiastic participation.
2:00 PM – NINJA MODE: ACTIVATED
Think your young adventurers still have energy? Perfect. Head to Ninja Warrior and let them climb, conquer and put their skills to the test. Parents: this is also the portion of Family MAXXING where you begin calculating how early everyone might fall asleep tonight.
3:00 PM – POTION SIDE QUEST
Every proper adventure needs a little magic. Make your way to the Bubble Potion Shop and let your little alchemists discover some bubbly Festival fun. Wands? Check. Potions? Check? They’re basically professionals now.
4:00 PM – QUEST ACCEPTED!
It’s time for an official Hollygrove adventure. Head to the Quest Tent and see what challenge awaits. Let your young heroes use their imaginations, join the adventure and become part of the story instead of simply watching it. This is what Family MAXXING is all about.
5:00 PM – TREASURE HUNT MAXX
Every adventurer deserves something to remember the journey. Explore the Artisan Marketplace together and let the kids search for one special Hollygrove treasure. A tiny dragon? A piece of garb? Something magical? Something completely unexpected? The hunt is half the fun. And yes, parents are allowed a treasure too.
6:00 PM – ONE. MORE. THING.
Everyone’s had a blast. Their minds are flooded with new memories. But there’s still time for one more side quest. Grab a sweet treat, catch one last show, play one more game or simply wander the Hollygrove Children’s Realm together and let the kids decide how the adventure ends.
7:00 PM – FAMILY MAXXED. QUEST COMPLETE.
Wands created.
Animals befriended.
Knights cheered.
Ninjas challenged.
Potions discovered.
Quests completed.
Treasures acquired.
And the kids? Completely stoked. Mission accomplished.
You didn’t just spend a day together.
You FAMILY MAXXED.
Now load up your sleepy little knights, fairies, wizards and Vikings and start planning your next adventure in Hollygrove.
Times, entertainment, attractions, and food offerings are subject to change. Check the daily Festival schedule when you arrive.