Set in a fictional 16th-century English village named Revel Grove, the festival is spread over 27 acres (110,000 m2).

The fair was first held for four weekends in 1977 and drew 17,000 people to see performances by Penn and Teller and The Flying Karamazov Brothers among others.

[3][4] The festival was originally an Elizabethan fair, but in 1989 switched to being focused on Henry VIII of England.

[5] On July 22, 2020, the Maryland Renaissance Festival announced that it would not operate in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Maryland Renaissance Festival utilizes eight major theaters, four smaller stages in taverns, a children's area, and a jousting tiltyard with seating for 3,000.