“We need a renaissance of wonder. We need to renew, in our hearts and in our souls, the deathless dream, the eternal poetry, the perennial sense that life is miracle and magic.”
The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a 16th century European-style medieval amusement park. Encompassing 22 acres in Huntersville, NC, it is one of the largest Renaissance fairs nationwide. This year marked the 16th annual celebration for the festival and was open on the weekends from October 10th to November 22nd.
Once you make the long journey (buy a walking stick!) from the parking lot, you will find 10 stages, along with numerous cottages, castles, kitchens and pubs (all buildings are permanent), street performers, rides, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament and much more. The rides are very unusual and I was particularly impressed (it doesn’t take much to amuse me, eh?) with the huge rocking horse. I don’t have the exact dimensions but the head appeared to be about 6 feet high.
The food was good, the crafts were lovely and the entertainment was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the Tortuga Twins play, Big Bad Wolf, (the LC rating stands for “Loose Cannon”) and had a good laugh at the semi-raunchy filk songs of the Washer Wenches. I couldn’t stand long enough to watch all of the jousting, performed by the Hanlon-Lees Action Theatre so I missed the joust to the death.
The photos are broken into groups – general, faces, crafts, jousting – and I have just posted a sampling. If you would like to see the rest of them, please check this comment for a link in a couple of days.
You can learn more about the Carolina Renaissance Festival here.
Hi Steph, love how you captured your shots, very clear and good lighting, too! I love the Village. I think we have one here, but I have never been to any of the festivals. I’d like to dress up too, if I go. How about you?
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Ebie, I have a lovely blue costume but I couldn’t remember which box it was in. It is fun to dress up for these festivals! — Steph
That looks like my kind of fair.
I love medieval festivals!
The pictures are beautiful and show us how much fun everyone had.
The weather looks great too
.-= Nicole´s last post … Ras Mohamed Nature Preserve Park =-.
It’s been a lot of years since I last attended a Renaissance Fair, but I remember having a lot of fun. Thanks for the great photos to jog my memory.
.-= Marvin´s last post … Woolly Bear Caterpillar Predicting the Weather in My World =-.
What MARVELOUS photos of this Renaissance Event! The colors and details just POP off the screen and bring back wonderful memories of Renaissance Faires I’ve attended in the past. Just BEAUTIFUL
Hugs and blessings,
The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a 16th century European-style medieval amusement park. Encompassing 22 acres in Huntersville, NC, it is one of the largest Renaissance fairs nationwide. This year marked the 16th annual celebration for the festival and was open on the weekends from October 10th to November 22nd.
Once you make the long journey (buy a walking stick!) from the parking lot, you will find 10 stages, along with numerous cottages, castles, kitchens and pubs (all buildings are permanent), street performers, rides, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament and much more. The rides are very unusual and I was particularly impressed (it doesn’t take much to amuse me, eh?) with the huge rocking horse. I don’t have the exact dimensions but the head appeared to be about 6 feet high.
The food was good, the crafts were lovely and the entertainment was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the Tortuga Twins play, Big Bad Wolf, (the LC rating stands for “Loose Cannon”) and had a good laugh at the semi-raunchy filk songs of the Washer Wenches. I couldn’t stand long enough to watch all of the jousting, performed by the Hanlon-Lees Action Theatre so I missed the joust to the death.
The photos are broken into groups – general, faces, crafts, jousting – and I have just posted a sampling. If you would like to see the rest of them, please check this comment for a link in a couple of days.
You can learn more about the Carolina Renaissance Festival here.
Hi Steph, love how you captured your shots, very clear and good lighting, too! I love the Village. I think we have one here, but I have never been to any of the festivals. I’d like to dress up too, if I go. How about you?
==============================
Ebie, I have a lovely blue costume but I couldn’t remember which box it was in. It is fun to dress up for these festivals! — Steph
It looks like great fun. One of these days I should go to a Renaissance Fair.
Looks like you had a great day. Lovely serie of shots. Thanks for sharing
.-= Marie Carpe Diem´s last post … Tänkvärt =-.
Lovely photographs and I love your header.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
your blog is fantastic!!! your photos magig!!!thanks for visitng my blog
)
What great pictures. That must have been a beautiful day
.-= Riet ´s last post … My World Tuesday =-.
That looks so much fun, a great My World post.
Hi Stephanie! What a fabulous post and such colorful, terrific captures! It does look like such a fun, wonderful day!
Enjoy!
Sylvia
Wonderful photos. There is a wonderful Renaissance Faire near Houston and it’s been years since we’ve been. Your post makes me want to go!
Great set of photos. I went to a Renaissance festival once in Maryland and had a blast! Very entertaining to say the least.
Thanks for stopping by.
Great pictures. It looks like everyone was having a good time.
Stephany: What fun captures of the fair, nicely shot.
Great photos from the festival – looks like everyone was having a bunch of fun.
That looks like my kind of fair.
I love medieval festivals!
The pictures are beautiful and show us how much fun everyone had.
The weather looks great too
.-= Nicole´s last post … Ras Mohamed Nature Preserve Park =-.
Looks like so much fun! I would love to go to one of these. Your wonderful shots captured well the merriment of the activities.
It’s been a lot of years since I last attended a Renaissance Fair, but I remember having a lot of fun. Thanks for the great photos to jog my memory.
.-= Marvin´s last post … Woolly Bear Caterpillar Predicting the Weather in My World =-.
This must be a wonderful place schoolchildren to experience European history! Great pictures Stephany! Have a nice week.
Wow, great pictures! Thanks for the information and I’m looking forward for more of this lovely pictures.
The Renaissance festivals are great fun. Your photos are so sharp! Well done.
This looks like an exciting place to visit! You got some great pictures of the fair!
What MARVELOUS photos of this Renaissance Event! The colors and details just POP off the screen and bring back wonderful memories of Renaissance Faires I’ve attended in the past. Just BEAUTIFUL
Hugs and blessings,
I love, love, love fairs and this one looks so much fun.
Oh what fun. Very colorful. Thanks for sharing.
I love these fairs, even if they don’t spell “Wrenaissance” correctly.
Nice captures! I really like the jouster. The colors on the leaf/butterfly shot jumps.
Remember the fair in Sarasota? Yours looks much better. Maybe I’ll come up for the next one.
I love that horse.
Paz
.-= Paz´s last post … Morning Has Broken =-.