HARVEYSBURG, Ohio — The Ohio Renaissance Festival opens this weekend in Harveysburg for its 37th year, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to Renaissance Park through November.
Watch: Here's what traffic improvements came to Harveysburg this year
The small village of fewer than 600 residents has long faced a surge of traffic each fall as the festival draws crowds over nine weekends. This year, a new turn lane and temporary traffic light off State Route 73 are in place to help manage the flow.
Mayor Jonathan Funk said the improvements address one of the community's most persistent concerns.
"That was our biggest concern because we have had a couple accidents, and also the traffic that's one of the biggest complaints, and we just want people to be able to come out, have a good time and enjoy the festival… not sit in traffic," Funk said.
Once visitors step through the front gate, organizers say the modern world fades away.
"If you walk through the front gate, you will be taken on a time-traveling adventure. You will not have any of the modern-day distractions," said Cheryl Bales with the festival.
The festival has seen growing interest in recent years, bolstered by national recognition.
"And after receiving the number one best Renaissance fair from the USA Today readers' choice poll, you know we've seen an increase in interest," Bales said.
The medieval magic will take over the new Whimsy Woods and the rest of the grounds through November.
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