The Carolina Renaissance Faire is held in Huntersville, NC and typically begins in early October and runs through mid-November.
All of the rides were authentic in that there was no electricity to run them (with the exception of the bungee jump). People actually had to use manual labor for the kids’ rides and shows. Lots of folks were dressed up in period costumes and it wasn’t just the people working there. Half the visitors wore period outfits. There were acrobats, fire eaters, music with harps, bagpipes, etc. The food was also from the Renaissance period with large turkey legs, bread bowl soups, steak on sticks, ear of corn, etc. For those soda drinkers, you could buy soda.
The Rides
The rocking horse and the flying sailboats were pushed by people. You may not be not be able to see them in the attached image, but there are men pushing the boats around like a merry-go-round. They had it going pretty fast. There is bungee jumping with safety ropes.
The Games
There were a number of games that children and adults could play. One was throwing tomatoes at the faces of volunteers and staff. There was jousting and a skit that the king and queen host at specific times throughout the day. There was fun archery opportunities and other stick games. Lots of arts and crafts, were available such as face painting, candle making and character drawings.
The Music
As a music lover, I enjoyed all the music at the renaissance faire. The harpist had so much beautiful music that I ended up purchasing three CDs from her. These days I listen to it as I write my Celtic stories. The bagpipes were endearing. The dancers were magical and very entertaining – including the belly dancers.
If you’ve never been to a Renaissance Festival, I would highly recommend it, especially if you have an interest in history. Even when something isn’t quite as authentic as it could be, keep in mind that the people who put things like this on are trying their best and put in a lot of hours of hard work. Overall, it’s a great event where families can enjoy themselves and learn a lot about the renaissance period and make memories.
If you are interested in attending this Oct/Nov, check out the Carolina Renaissance website for more info and tickets.
