My Lords and my Ladies, I’m very happy to share this with you today. Over the weekend I attended my first ever Renaissance Festival and, well, it was far better than I could’ve imagined. As I entered the gates, I was whisked back in time and into a place where us nerds were *finally* cool. It was the best day ever! Here’s my full review as well as lots of tips for the Carolina Renaissance Festival to help you prepare for your adventure.
Know Before You Go – Tips For The Carolina Renaissance Festival
Disclaimer
I am an affiliate with Booking.com.
FAQ for visiting the Carolina Renaissance Festival
Where is it located?
Huntersville about 2 hours and 45 minutes from Fayetteville.
How do you get tickets?
The most convenient options is to get them online from the event website. You can also buy them on the day at the festival or at participating Harris Teeter stores.
Is it kid-friendly?
Absolutely!
Is it pet-friendly?
Pets are not allowed.
Is card accepted?
Some craft vendors accepted card, but you need cash for food, drink, tips, games, and rides.
What facilities are available?
Toilets, ATM’s, tables and chairs.
For toilets, look for the ‘privies’ signs
Getting there and parking tips
I used ‘Carolina Renaissance Festival’ in Google Maps to get there.
However, it’s also a good idea to check the driving directions on the event website and make a note of the best entrance from the direction you will be coming from. This way you can be sure the map is taking you to the closest entrance.
Parking is free and very well organized with lots of attendants to guide the cars in an orderly fashion.
I know you’ll be excited to rush in, but don’t forget to make a note of where you parked before you leave your car so it’s easier to find at the end of the day. Let’s just say I didn’t do that and ended up doing a few laps at the end of the night!
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Timing your visit
If you want to make the most of your experience, you need the full day there.
It’s a popular festival with a lot of other people trying to get in at the same time so arriving early is key. I think you want to plan to arrive about 45 minutes to an hour before the gates open. This will give you plenty of time to get through the parking line and get in the entrance line to be ready for the opening.
To make that easier than driving a couple of hours early in the morning, it might be worth staying nearby and turning it into a weekend away.
Here are a few hotels about 15 minutes drive from the festival:
- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
- Courtyard by Marriott – Charlotte Lake Norman
- Four Points by Sheraton Charlotte – Lake Norman
The setting
When you walk through the gates, you’re no longer in North Carolina. You step into the village of Fairhaven.
Everything from the buildings, to the old fashioned font on the signs, and costumed staff set the scene perfectly.
The grounds are a lot larger than I expected which makes it feel even more like an immersive village experience.
I want to give a special mention to all the ground staff who kept Fairhaven clean throughout the day. At one point I was thinking to myself that I hadn’t seen trash on the ground all day which seemed unusual for a festival of this size. And that is full credit to the staff who were keeping it immaculate.
What to wear to the Carolina Renaissance Festival
This is the part that surprised me the most. I thought there’d be a few people in costume, but most in regular clothes.
And I couldn’t have been more wrong.
This is your chance to go full nerd and dress up.
It’s not limited to medieval style costumes either. I saw a few Star Wars costumes (that’s not even the same galaxy let alone time period), a few Predator costumes, and even a Marty McFly.
Let your imagination run wild!
Basically, what I’m trying to say is that this is definitely the time to dress up. If you forget a costume you can rent one at the booth just before the entrance.
Other than that, I recommend wearing comfortable shoes because the grounds are quite large and you’ll be walking all day.
The best food at the Carolina Renaissance Festival
Perhaps the next best thing to seeing all the different costumes is the food.
My strategy was to get a lot of little snacks to share with my husband so we could try as much as possible.
I think the bread bowls are one of the must try foods. The broccoli cheddar tastes great but skip the meatball one. It ended up being meatballs with a little sauce on top so once you get to the bread, you’re eating a dry bread bowl.
Another must try is a giant smoked turkey leg and a sausage on a stick.
You’ll find sweet treats around the fair as well, and I particularly liked the s’mores chocolate. They also had things like caramel apples, strawberry shortcake, and flavored nuts.
There’s plenty of beer, wine, and mead vendors as well. It’s worth noting that you can only buy one drink per person per visit.
Shopping
You’ll find all sorts of unique crafts as you stroll the marketplace.
Maybe you’ll pick up an old fashioned map, maybe you’ll forge your own dagger, or maybe you’ll get handmade pottery, wood crafts, or skin care.
There’s something for everyone. Part of the fun of the day is checking out all the creations from the different vendors.
I got a notebook that’s one part creepy, one part creative, and definitely the most unique I’ve ever seen.
My new notebook!
The entertainment
What is a better combination than day drinking and watching knights joust? This is one of the big highlights of the festival for me. It was so cool to watch the entertaining show because the performers were really funny and engaging with the crowd.
But it was also just plain cool to see knights in shining armor jousting.
They have three shows throughout the day and it’s a must-see in my opinion.
Aside from that, there’s a range of performances throughout the day with everything from a pirate walking a flaming tightrope to Snorkel the dancing pig.
You can also have some fun with activities like axe throwing, testing your strength on Deadman’s Drop, attempting to climb Jacob’s Ladder, or even visiting the live mermaids or petting zoo.
There’s so much that you could fill two days seeing it all. If you only have one day then there’s plenty to keep the family entertained.
Overall thoughts
What more is there to say other than the Carolina Renaissance Festival is a must do while you’re living in North Carolina.
It’s about as close to the Middle Ages as you can get but instead of documenting your experience on an old tapestry, you can Instagram it.
I hope this guide helps you plan your visit and have an idea of what to expect.
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