The Darkmoon Faire is a mysterious traveling carnival, which roams not only Azeroth but Outland as well. Led by the inimitable Silas Darkmoon, a gnome of dubious heritage and unknown providence, the Faire brings fun, games, prizes, and exotic trinkets of unexpected power to Mulgore, Elwynn Forest, or Terokkar Forest each month.

A variety of amusements can be had by the discerning fairegoer, but the most common attraction is the ticket redemption. A variety of merchants at the Faire collect items from around the worlds in exchange for Darkmoon Faire Prize Ticket. The tickets can, in turn, be saved up and turned in for prizes of varying worth and power. Several different ticket distributors are posted around the Faire, offering tickets for crafted items made by Leatherworkers, Blacksmiths, or Engineers as well as items gathered in the wild such as Evil Bat Eye and Glowing Scorpid Blood. Tickets can be redeemed for many things, from flowers to hold in the off-hand to necklaces of great power.

Many adventurers seek out the Darkmoon Faire to turn in the mystical Darkmoon Cards. Darkmoon Cards come in eight suits, each of which has cards from Ace to Eight. Combining all cards in a suit produces a deck, which will start a quest to return that deck to the Darkmoon Faire. Each of the eight decks produces a different trinket with a different effect, some of which are quite powerful.

The Darkmoon Faire's usual schedule has it arriving on site on the first Friday of the month. For the weekend, the carnies will be seen setting up the midway, and the Faire will actually start early on the following Monday.