From steel to storybook: Carlsbad goes medieval

Cavern City Renaissance Festival returns with magic, combat, community

What began as a college student’s daydream is now Southeast New Mexico’s largest ticketed event, and it’s only getting bigger. The Cavern City Renaissance Festival, held annually in Carlsbad, returns this fall with more armored combat, immersive performances and whimsical surprises than ever before.

Festival founder Shay Gregory, a Carlsbad native and self-proclaimed fantasy nerd, remembers the spark that started it all.

“I was always one of those ‘I wish there were more things to do here’ people,” Gregory said. “I kept asking, ‘Why isn’t something like this in Carlsbad?’ Eventually, I thought, Why can’t I bring it here myself?”

That question turned into a multi-day celebration of medieval merriment, now drawing tho