Historical reenactments allow people to step out of their own time period and experience a different world, even if only for a few hours. For children, reenactments are educational, bringing to life the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, colonial wars, or the American Civil War. Every autumn in North Carolina the Carolina Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace brings together an inquiring public with knights, damsels in distress, singers, jugglers, and a host of vendors selling everything from medieval apparel to CDs featuring the music of a bygone era. The Festival is easy to get to, just a few miles from Charlotte and close to major highways, and is open on weekends from 10:00 to 5:30 PM.
Knighthood Comes to North Carolina
The joust or tournament of knights is one of the chief features at any medieval or Renaissance Festival. Visitors to the Carolina Festival will not be disappointed. Jousting takes place three times a day and is probably the most colorful event at the gathering.
Historians believe that the tournament began in Europe after Charlemagne introduced the idea of mounted soldiers. Originally fought among Anglo-French knights, the tournament or "melee" flowered in the 13th Century, giving way to the plaisance that utilized blunt weapons to avoid the large scale killing of knights associated with early Middle Ages' tourneys. Jousts - matches fought with lances, were popular into the 16th Century; in 1559, for example, King Henry II of France died prematurely after suffering a mortal wound from a lance during a joust.
Jousts at the Carolina Renaissance Festival may not be fought to the death, but they incorporate all of the imagery of a mid 14th Century tournament: a lively contest between mounted knights. There are squires, kings, and queens as well as all of the props that help to recreate the High and Late Middle Ages. Spectators cheer their favorites, just as they did hundreds of years ago.
Food, Music, and Fun at the Renaissance Festival
It's not hard to disguise an educational adventure as fun and games at the festival. There are numerous rides for children that are historically themed as well as a petting farm and opportunities to learn, for example, archery first hand. The English longbow, a singular weapon used successfully by Edward III during the early stages of the Hundred Years' War, is recreated and demonstrated at the Renaissance Festival.
Another interesting attraction is the "Voyage to the New World," reminding young visitors that Europe's late 15th Century forays across the Atlantic made settlement possible and resulted in the Columbian Exchange that brought many New World agricultural commodities like the potato and the tomato to the Old World.
Several hundred costumed people remind visitors what life was like hundreds of years ago. The festival also attracts vendors that sell all kinds of medieval and Celtic products. Organizers have also booked dozens of entertainers like "Maidens IV" that specialize in Celtic music. Most of the entertainers maintain their own web sites that can be accessed from the Carolina Renaissance main web page.
Times and Costs of the Carolina Renaissance Festival
The festival runs from October 8th until November 20th, 2011 and is in its 18th season. Ticket prices are $20 for adults; $10 for children from 5-12. Children under 5 pay no entrance fee. Additionally, discounted tickets can be purchased in advance through Harris Teeter, a regional grocery chain. There are also discounts for seniors and military personnel. The festival website offers an opening weekend special: two adult tickets for $20.00 with a coupon that can be downloaded. Parking is free.
The festival website also details special events such as the BrewFest Weekend (October 22 & 23) and a Halloween celebration geared toward children (October 29 & 30). Several weekdays are also devoted to middle and high school students. This represents a unique and educational field trip opportunity that can fit well into most curricula whether studying the Renaissance, music history, or feudalism.
Directions to the festival can be found on the official website. The site also lists hotels and other accommodations such as bed & breakfasts, many of which will offer special rates for people attending the festival.
The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a perfect family venue that blends the colorful past with 21st Century fun and adventure. For many Americans that know little about the Late Middle Ages or the Renaissance, the festival reveals a chapter in history of a bygone era of chivalry and simple peasant lifestyles. At the same time, visitors can eat, drink, hear fantastic music, and watch performers as they resurrect entertainments only read about in history books.
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