Walk through the gates of the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, and you’re instantly trans­ported into another time. A time when kings and queens ruled the land, when knights fought for their ladies’ honor.

You also might be a little over­whelmed as you enter the Middle Ages, especially if it’s your first visit to the festival, which opens this weekend.

With 20 stages of entertainment, 165 artisans and more than 500 performers spread throughout 16 acres, the Renaissance Festival provides guests with a bounty of choices — so many that it could be hard to decide where to begin.

Ron Dolsen, who plays weaver and actor Nicholas Bottom, says one thing not to miss is the jousting tournament.

“I always think that if you’ve nev­er been to the festival before, you should attend at least one joust,” he says. “It’s just something that’s so representative of the festival.”

At the joust, you can watch knights in armor battle on horse­back for the affection of the queen.

Longtime festival patron Lissa Young of Leawood, Kan., gives this tip when watching the joust.

“If you go later in the day, you won’t roast,” she says, “because it’s in the sun.”

Ms. Young also recommends taking part in the Royal High Tea, which is hosted by the queen at 2 p.m. daily during the festival. Attend one of these, Ms. Young says, and you might be wooed by a knight or see gypsies dancing on the tables.

Mr. Dolsen and Ms. Young both recommended catching the Jolly Rogers, a group of pirate musicians.

When it’s time to fill your belly, the festival has everything from batter-fried asparagus to sausage on a stick to Scotch eggs. And of course, there’s always the famous Renaissance Festival turkey legs.

“For anyone coming for the first time, they must partake in a turkey leg,” says Stacey Wood, who plays Lady Mayor Anne Shelton.

“Unless they are vegetarian, and they can have cheese­cake on a stick.”

And for those who have traveled to the festival and back to the Middle Ages before, there’s still new stuff to see. New this year are dragon hatch­ings, the Magical Vardo character wagon, the Market on the Green the­atrical knoll and the royal wedding of King Henry to Anne Boleyn.

After you hit the high­lights of the Renaissance Festival, Mr. Dolsen says the rest depends on what your tastes are, whether it be browsing the shops, watching roving enter­tainers, listening to Me­dieval music or enjoying food on a stick.

“It’s just simply what­ever you are looking for,” he says.

Lifestyles reporter Lacey Storer can be reached at lstorer@npgco.com