HOUSTON – It’s time to put a little “huzzah!” (and a turkey leg) in your weekend. The 2018 season of the Texas Renaissance Festival gets underway Saturday.
This year’s festival runs every Saturday and Sunday from Sept. 29 to Nov. 25. It will also be open the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Photos: 43rd Annual Texas Renaissance Festival
But if there's one thing that will put a knot in your chain mail bikini and fur loincloth, it's the traffic.
Here are some tips from ren fest on how to avoid the gridlock:
-- Leave early and stay late! The festival opens its gates at 9 am. The heaviest traffic coming to the festival occurs between the hours of 11 am and 2 pm. Similarly, the Festival closes at 8 pm with the heaviest exit traffic occurring between 6 and 8 pm. Why not plan on making it a long, leisurely stay in New Market Village?
-- Come from the north. There are many ways to get to the festival. Traffic is heaviest along FM 1774 between Tomball and Magnolia, and again on FM 1774 between Magnolia and the Festival. To avoid this congestion, try coming from the north side of the Festival on FM 1774 from Plantersville. There are two ways to get to the Festival from this direction.
Take I-45 north to Conroe, Texas and exit onto HWY 105 west. Go approximately 25 miles on HWY 105 to Plantersville and turn left onto FM 1774. The Festival is only 6 miles south on FM 1774.
Take HWY 290 east to HWY 6 in Hempstead, then go north on HWY 6 to Hwy 105 in Navasota. Take Hwy 105 east approximately 15 miles to Plantersville. In Plantersville, turn right onto FM 1774 and go south for 6 miles to the Festival entrance.
-- Ignore the apps! Many directional apps and GPS systems will suggest alternate routes to avoid heavy traffic coming to the Festival. These routes may take you through residential areas or private roads that are closed to festival traffic. If you take these alternate routes, you may find yourself forced to turn back and go the back to the main route, costing you even more time. Please follow the directional signs and routes indicated by law enforcement and traffic control.