Renaissance Festival opening weekend brings in biggest crowd in years

Opening day of the Renaissance Festival drew in record breaking crowds and while traffic was a real concern, drivers say it wasn’t as bad a they expected.

No matter where drivers were coming from, whether it be I-25 or Highway 105, they say getting to Larkspur wasn’t an issue.

During the week it’s not uncommon to find cars gridlocked in the construction zone. Though opening weekend drivers noticed traffic wasn’t as bad.

“It was really smooth, very little traffic. Occasionally a little slow going because of construction but smooth going,” said Sara Sandoval, from Denver.

CDOT says it’s because they turned a shoulder into a lane to help with travel woes. Visitors say the biggest problem this year is parking.

“Get here early because traffic is pretty brutal. Parking is hard but as long as you get here early enough you’ll be alright,” said Ali Selka from Castle Rock.

A spokesperson with the festival says it is the biggest opening weekend they’ve had in years.

“We’ve come an opening year before and we couldn’t even get into the doors as fast like we normally do. So there are definitely a lot more people,” said Jossely Bialsky from Colorado Springs.

While many people say as hard as it may be to get to the festival, it’s always worth it.

The festival is held every weekend through the beginning of August.