Food, entertainment, and furry friends, the Bay Area Renaissance Festival is back in the Tampa Bay area. The festival gives Bay area residents a chance to dress up in their favorite medieval costume and play the part of a Renaissance figure.

The first weekend in March is Pirates and Pets. Guests can bring their dogs at no extra charge during this themed event that includes pet costume contests, a Dachshunds race and much more. Jonathan, one of the “pirates” who brought his dog Sam to the festival said, “Normally my dog doesn’t do well in large crowds, but I think with the combination of new smells, other animals and everything else, she has been pretty good.”

What brings guests to the festival each year? Pinetree, a pickle vendor says, “Prob­ably the food, the jousting, the clothing, for some rea­son people like the pickle guy.” The festival has plenty of food and drinks for your medieval palate.

The festival host a different theme each weekend and Chocolate Fantasy, Time Travelers and Barbarian Brew Fest are just a few of the events planned for this year. For a complete list of events, check out the Bay Area Renaissance Festival website at www.bayarearenfest.com. The Bay Area Renaissance Festival is open rain or shine, 10 a.m. -6 p.m. on weekends Feb. 18. thru April 2.