How We Enjoyed Carolina Renaissance Festival

A Start to the Day

Maybe you saw the post that shared about how we went to Carolina Renaissance Festival.  Now I will share a bit about what we experienced once we arrived there.  To start the activities of the day, and before we even entered through the festival gates, we were greeted by Arrow and The Flash.  This was interesting because how often do you think those 1940s super heroes were present in Renaissance times?  On the other hand, this particular weekend was Time Travelers Weekend, and The Flash has been known to travel through time.  Could it be that Green Arrow also has abilities beyond our knowledge?

Speaking of time traveling, we did spot Doc Brown’s DeLorean.  Neither Doc nor Marty McFly were anywhere to be seen, but they may have been solving some problem that we will soon discover in Back to the Future 4:  Renaissance Renegades.

Funny Photos, Unique Shopping, Scrumptious Foods

After we experienced the time travelers on the path to the RenFest, we entered through the gate and were promptly drawn to this picture spot to have some laughs.  Do you pose for pictures when you see these put-your-face-to-the-hole opportunities?

As we made our way further onto the property, we could not help but notice that there are ample opportunities to shop.  If you like unique and creative items, clothes, and gift ideas, then Carolina Renaissance Festival will give you a smorgasbord of shopportunities from clothing, to steampunk accessories, to toys to leather goods to iron works to food.

Yes, food.  Speaking of smorgasbords, there are plenty of eating locations on the Carolina Renaissance Festival property with many different taste options.  Some of the lines were quite long.  We did not get food from those places.  We did, though, enjoy the hot pretzels over and over again.  They were plump and soft and full of flavor.  Mmm.  We also enjoyed fresh waffles with an assortment of topping.  Strawberries adorned my waffle, and the meal was a filling treat.

The Laughter

Since I took no pictures of food, let us move on to games.  There were games scattered throughout the festival.  In this picture, the guys are throwing softballs and breaking plastic plates.  There were a bunch of throwing games including ninja stars, knives, balls.  Oh, and the prizes were strange.  For example, you could win a plastic cockroach or a feather.  Maybe there is some significance to Renaissance times that eludes me.  Fun and laughter was had regardless.

I am not sure if this would be considered a game or a ride, yet the next experience at Carolina Renaissance Festival that I am sharing is Jacob’s Ladder.  Boy has accomplished climbing a Jacob’s Ladder before, yet this time it was not happening.  Hilarity ensued as the guys tried and tried again and again.

The Smiles

As for actual rides, there were an assortment of them on the grounds.  None of the rides are electrical, of course, so it is neat and sometimes fascinating to see the creativity combined with good, old-fashioned manpower that made these rides work.  This ride below is a rocking ride that fits a few children with only one adult permitted at a time.  How does it work?  Someone pushes it, and you swing.  You laugh, and you swing.  You wave to people when you go up, and you laugh.  Aah, good times.

The next ride that you see here is sort of like a carousel except that the individual riding compartments are hanging on swings.  How does the whole contraption move in circles?  It is pushed by four young men in the way that a horse mill is operated.  It looks like a good workout, and the riders really get moving!

The Thrills of the Day

After we watched the knights joust, Boy got the bonus of being able to ride this horse and use a jousting lance to aim for his target.  He succeeded!  Maybe we will share some of the exciting sights and details about the joust at a later time, when we get closer to this year’s Carolina Renaissance Festival.  That they had a horse for a child to ride with the wind in his hair was a nice touch, and it certainly caused a lot of smiles.

The festivities of the day wrapped up a bit earlier than they might have if it were not as cold as it was.  On a positive note, the festival now makes a big loop.  Rather than having to walk back to the beginning, we were able to simply exit at the end — which also happened to be near the entrance.  Convenient!

Make Your Plans

Thank you again to the Destination Magazine for the tickets.  They were well utilized and enjoyed!  If you are in North Carolina or planning to visit, grab a copy of this magazine or visit the web site to find information about activities, adventures, and lots of things to do in the state.

Carolina Renaissance Festival, and I suspect other Ren Faires around the country, has activities and entertainment for children and adults.  There is much to do, and you likely will not be able to experience all of it in one day.  Check out their web site, and plan a head.  Pick a day to go, or grab yourself a season pass and enjoy something new each weekend that the festival is open.  We have a few more months left until the next season.  Keep visiting to look for our post about the joust.  Oh, and we have not even mentioned The Ancient Art of Falconry yet!