Carolina Renaissance Festival – An Escape from the Ordinary

Enjoy a touch of fantasy and history at one of the best fall festivals in NC.

I fondly remember attending the Carolina Renaissance Festival as a high school field trip for my arts and humanity class. Even though it was many years ago, everything about the experience is so fun and such a unique experience that it’s impossible to forget. I certainly never imagined then that, years later, I’d enjoy attending the festival with my own family.

Ironically, the spring after that high school visit, the movie “A Knight’s Tale” came out in theaters. If you haven’t seen it, it’s all about jousting and the Renaissance time frame. Plus, it had Heath Ledger before he was the Joker and Paul Bettany before he was Vision. Do yourself a favor, and watch it at least once.

If you have seen the movie, then I’m sure you were wondering while watching it what it was like to live during that time. Well, wonder no longer. Simply visit the Carolina Renaissance Festival this fall, and you’ll get a good idea of entertainment and attire back then.

While many festivals come and go, this one has truly stood the test of time as this year is the 31st annual Carolina Renaissance Festival.

Step Back in Time

You don’t need a time machine to see what the Renaissance period is like. This festival brings it to life for all its attendees.

It is more than merely a day trip or place of entertainment because it is educational as well. Fun meets learning every day of the festival.

You can easily forget your daily troubles in our fast-paced world and escape to a much simpler time, if only for a day. As soon as you walk through the gates, you’ll enjoy the magic and myth of the Renaissance.

Fun at Every Turn

The Carolina Renaissance Festival is entertaining for all. There are people-powered rides, games of skill, 16 stages with continuous theater and circus shows, and plenty of shopping with more than 140 merchants. Add into the mix comedians, jugglers and acrobats, and there is endless entertainment.

Then, of course, there is my (and many others’) favorite attraction, the Queen’s Tournament Joust! It is spectacular to watch. I mean, where else can you see competitors riding horses and hitting each other with lances in 2024?

When she was a little younger, my oldest daughter’s favorite attraction was the Circus Siren Sea Fairy Mermaids. Clearly, many other kids and kids at heart loved it as it was featured last year in the Netflix documentary series MerPeople.

Two new entertainment options this year include Witch Trials! and Princess Sofia & Princess Catalina.

Last, but certainly not least, is all the amazing and delicious food. The fan favorite is always the Giant Turkey Leg. However, the recent new addition, the Transylvanian Chimney Cakes, is rising in popularity!

Get Ready for Magic & Fun at the Carolina Renaissance Festival

Are you ready to step back in time to a magical and exciting era in human history? Then, visit the Carolina Renaissance Festival any Saturday or Sunday from October 5th to November 24th. They are open rain or shine 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. those days.

You can find the festival at 16445 Poplar Tent Road, Huntersville, NC 28078. Parking is free!

For more information and tickets, visit carolina.renfestinfo.com.

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Suzy Fielders

Suzy Fielders has had a passion for writing since her days in undergraduate school at Coker University, where she majored in Communications and Psychology. She loves hearing – and sharing – other’s stories as well as letting people know all the happenings, places, and events in and around Winston-Salem. Suzy, a Winston-Salem native, has written off and on for the magazine since 2013 and is excited to have multiple articles lined up for 2024 and beyond! In addition to her B.A. from Coker she has an M.A. in Communication Studies from UNC Greensboro. When she’s not writing or working with clients for her content marketing business, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters.

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