Carolina Renaissance Festival facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carolina Renaissance Festival
Carolina Renaissance Festival, November 2015
Genre	Renaissance fair
Dates	October – November
Location(s)	Huntersville, North Carolina, United States
Inaugurated	1994
Attendance	195,000 (average)
Stages	14

The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a huge outdoor amusement park and one of the biggest Renaissance fairs in America. It's like stepping back in time to a storybook village called "Fairhaven." This village is nestled in 375 acres of beautiful autumn woods.

Inside the village, you'll find over 140 shops and craftspeople. They create, show, and sell amazing handmade items. There are also 14 outdoor stages where you can watch non-stop shows. These include theater, comedy, music, dance, magic, and circus acts. You can even see swimming mermaids and live falconry shows! Hundreds of costumed villagers and fantasy characters walk around, ready to interact with you.

The festival's most popular event is the knights on horseback. They joust three times a day in the Queen's tournament arena. You can shop, play games, enjoy the shows, or try unique rides. There's also lots of delicious food fit for royalty! The festival happens every Saturday and Sunday in October and November. It also opens for school field trips on some weekdays in October. About 195,000 people visit the festival each fall. It's located north of Charlotte, North Carolina, between Huntersville and Concord.

Exciting Shows and Performers

The Carolina Renaissance Festival has many live stage shows. You can see music, dance, and comedy. There are also performers with amazing circus skills. These include juggling, aerial silks, acrobatics, and other fun acts. Musicians play traditional instruments like the harp and bagpipes.

Many professional street performers also roam the festival lanes. They interact with visitors, making the experience even more fun. Besides the 14 stages, there are three main attractions you won't want to miss!

Knights in Shining Armor!

You can watch knights on horseback joust three times a day. Stunt riders charge at each other with long lances. The jousts are performed by Aventail Productions. The competition is scored like a real historical tournament. The last joust of the day often ends with a thrilling ground fight!

Amazing Birds of Prey!

Learn about the ancient art of falconry four times a day at the Edgewood Theatre. You'll see different birds of prey show off their unique skills. These birds were once loved by nobles and kings. Both kids and adults are amazed by these beautiful birds as they fly.

Meet the Mermaids!

The "Sea Fairies" exhibit features real mermaid models. They swim in a huge 3,000-gallon aquarium tank. Next to the tank, a mermaid often sits on a throne. You can take photos with her!

Friendly Village Characters

The festival also has its own team of over 100 costumed characters. They interact directly with visitors. This helps create a more real feeling of a renaissance-era town. These characters bring the "village" to life! Some examples include "The Village Baker" and "Tavern Keeper." There's also a "Singing Milkmaid" trio, a Town Mayor, and a fictional Royal Family. Most of these performers are from nearby communities like Concord and Charlotte.

Fun Activities and Games

Over 140 vendors sell all sorts of handmade arts and crafts. You can find handmade jewelry, leather goods, and blown glass. You might even see glass being made right in front of you! There are also candles and custom chain mail.

Delicious Festival Food

The festival sells many medieval-themed foods. You can try giant turkey legs, and different soups and stews served in "bread bowls." Other tasty options include "Steak on a Stake," fish and chips, corn on the cob, and Scotch eggs.

Exciting Games to Play

Besides the shops, you can find many fun games. Try your hand at archery target-shooting or crossbow shooting. You can also try axe throwing, frog catapults, or go on a gold coin hunt!

Special Weekend Themes

The festival also has special themed weekends throughout its season. A popular one is "Time Travelers Weekend." During this time, people dressed in costumes from all different genres (like science fiction or comic books) are invited to "time travel" to the renaissance. Other themes include BrewFest Weekend, Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights Weekend, and Pirate's Christmas Weekend. The first weekend of the festival always has a special "buy one, get one free" deal for adult tickets (you need a coupon for this).

Festival History

The Carolina Renaissance Festival first opened in 1994. It was started by Jeff Siegel. His company, Royal Faires, also owns the Arizona Renaissance Festival.

The festival did not take place in 2020. The 27th festival was moved to 2021.