Carolina Renaissance Festival

We started going about 3 years ago and loved it. The vendors are great, the shows are fantastic, the ambience is A+.However, don't bother going on a nice sunny day. The lines are ridiculous. Want to eat? You've got a 30-60 minute wait for a turkey leg and ANOTHER 30-60 min wait for a beer. Seriously, I waited in line 20 minutes and only 3 people were served. There were like, 15 more people in line before my spot. I gave up and we hit up McDonald's on the way home...There were SO many people you could barely move in spots, no place to sit, and if you want to see the joust you will need to go and camp out a spot at least 40 minutes before the show starts. You will be elbow to elbow in any shop, and forget window shopping - there's no space to stop with the hordes of people pushing through. The crowds just made it miserable for us. I don't think we'll be going back. Very much feels like a faire that has grown beyond its britches. If they start limiting attendance, I'd gladly go back, otherwise I might try the Eastern NC Faire instead.

First time going to the Ren fair and it was a blast! So many people dressed the part and especially a great time to go during Halloween season. I got a kick out of watching the jousting matches, and the food was pretty good. Unfortunately they did run out of scotch eggs rather early in the day, and $15 for a turkey leg is insane. That aside, it was a great day and I'm sure we'll go again!

We've been going for several years and it definitely seems to be picking up in popularity, Which is wonderful because the actors and vendors deserve to make money. The location itself is not scaling in size. So you have more people in the same amount of space, same amount of food vendors, privies, etc. so it can feel like any con that you are spending most of your time in line. There are little things that could be done to improve the experience like flags in the parking area to help identify where you are parked, but overall the experience is always a blast. Things to note: it's a cleared outdoor area, the ground is not even please keep in mind.

So fun but oh so crowded! We went on a sold out Saturday. High if the day was definitely the joust performance, last one of the day and joist to the death. Great acting, fake blood and all. Very exciting. We thoroughly enjoyed the Washing Well Wenches right before that, with lots of adult humor and crowd involvement. Pretty darn funny. Shopping- huge variety. It's a mixture of Renaissance themed trinkets like wooden swords, armour, capes, and shawls. Plus pottery, holiday decor and leather goods. I regret not buying a crystal spider in Sherwood Forest - they were beautiful and unique. People watching was the best ever. We went on pirate themed weekend, so lots of pirates plus Renaissance outfits. Then there was everything else - furries, steampunk, Star Wars, and vampires. Some very elaborate costumes and some very scantily clad who knows what as well. Dress up if you can, it makes the day more interesting. Parking is a good walk from the entrance though, so I'd say be careful with your footwear choices. Lots of walking required. On to the least enticing part- the lines. Privy lines were not bad for the portalets. Hand wash stations were available. Any food, drink or alcohol line was ridiculously long. Limit of 1 adult bevy per adult, so by the time you get a drink you may as well get right back in the 30-45 minute line if you want another. The selection was actually good, but all draft or poured in plastic cups. If you wanted food and an adult beverage, that means waiting in TWO 30-45 minute lines. Some of us did divide and conquer, so I know the lines were 30-45 minutes each. Food options included turkey legs, bread bowl soups, stir fry, etc. Some carts had jerky and meat sticks, others had mimosas, so it was a good variety. Bad news is each has a separate line. We will either never return or go back on a less popular day- not a Saturday in great weather.

Definitely an awesome time. Super close to being 5 stars. Like a 4.8, and the only reason I'm subtracting is because of the mead servings. Brother, I will pay $20 if you give me more than 5oz of mead. What in the world. And only one drink per visit? Are you for real? I mean, I get it in theory - but I needed some alcohol to loosen me up after the anxiety-inducing experience that was walking into such a massive RenFest. I expect crowds - I work RenFest at home - but this was jaw-droppingly packed. Which is good! I like the idea of more people giving into their geekery. But hot dang. Lines upon lines upon lines. No big deal in the scheme of things - I mean if you go the whole day you'll get it all in. And we never had trouble finding a seat at a show or getting into a shop. Anyway - my biggest and really only gripe is the mead serving. As your resident mead goddess, I was a little sour over it. Some tips, for those who don't RenFest often. Go to the ATM before you come, have cash already on you. Eat a big protein-packed breakfast, that way some of the food lines will have died down before you are hungry. Arrive early for better parking. Pace yourself. Wear comfy shoes, unless you're sacrificing in the name of rad Rennie fashion - then refer to the previous pace yourself tip. Lastly, I was overjoyed to see my beloved Tortuga Twins again - we've been missing them in GA - and I really enjoyed Craic, and the falconry. Mermaids were awesome too. It was a great time.

We loved our trip to the Carolina Renaissance Festival! There were so many neat shops, vendors, and performers! We were there when they opened and it was fun to have the Queen and her court welcome us from the top of the gate! The mermaids were what we were looking forward to the most so we headed straight to them first thing when the festival opened - there was one doing tricks in a water tank and another that you could sit next to for photos! Petting a goose in a skirt was the highlight of my visit (she was so soft!) and the petting zoo was nice to walk through. There was also a stall where you could be fitted for custom elf ears. Really the only downside was that I wished they had more food options. Also make sure to really take notice of where you park - the whole parking lot looks the same and it took us a while to find our car!

Wow !!! What a mind trip this was. People got INTO it this year. It was my first one and my jaw dropped from people's costumes. The people watching never gets tiring. There were a few good shows to attend and the entertainment was pretty good. Don't miss out on the jousting! Good food at an affordable price. I had a loaded hot baked potato and also some gourmet ice cream which offered Vegan options. They don't gouge you on simple things like water bottles either which I appreciated.It's worth the ticket price. parking was free. Also be alert to fact that you should bring cash. My email confirmation day of was very helpful with information about how to get there (apparently GPS will mislead you) and to bring money since it's cash only and only a few atm machines are set up. I didn't regret coming and I'll come again next year. I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because...porta pottys, ick

Every time we come to this festival, we ALWAYS have a blast! We purchased our tickets and came on the last Saturday they were opened. If we brought in canned goods, kids receive free tickets, so both of our kids were free, SCORE! IT OPENED FROM 9:30 AM - 5:30PM. We arrived around 10:40 a.m., and boy, was it PACKED already! We made our way inside and went straight to the food. Enjoyed a nice turkey leg and sausage on a stick. Most of the booths, vendors, rides, etc...perfer cash, so make sure you prepare in advance. They do have ATMs, but of course, those line are always LONG! They offer a variety of artesian gifts and souvenirs and a lot of things for kids to enjoy, such as petting zoo, rides, and face paintings. You really feel like you're transported in time and feel the energy! Everyone is always super dressed up and into it, and I love seeing their creativity. It's always a good time, and I def recommend coming here. Parking is a little bit more contained now and not a hassle. You may have to park far, but of course, something you just have to deal with.

How did we get so lucky? Bought tickets on a hurricane weekend... So to save the muddy parking lots, this event management staff decided to limit the number of tickets for Saturday's event. I'm very glad they did because after the absolutely insane crowds last year, I swore I was never coming back after having attended for 20 years straight. Today has been lovely... Short lines, the turkey legs, we all love to eat, and great shows and oddities to entertain all ages. Just wanted to shout out to the staff for continuing to solve the crowd problem... This has made a big difference!Don't miss:*face painting (don't go to the first stall you come to - there's one near jousting that is always a shorter line!)*both food courts for those turkey legs, fish & chips, sausage on a stick and the wood fired pastries!*the Jousting Tournament *vegetable justice *mermaids - they're free and great for small kids *chimney rolls (European fire roasted pastries)Protip: arrive as early as you can to open & leave before closing at 5:30pm.Protip 2: kids usually can get in free with the donation of a school supplyProtip 3: BRING CASH.

I absolutely LOVE going to this Festival!!This is the opening weekend and we had coupons for Buy 1 Get 1 Free Admission Parking is free but can get hectic so plan accordingly and allow enough time for traffic getting into the parking lots.Each food station is all cash and lost vendors are cash with some accepting card. The turkey are a must! ($10) but the is also buttery & delicious as are the bread bowls (I had spinach artichoke), and you should try to roasted nuts There's multiple entertainment options, multiple vendors with unique items for sale and of course there's the Jousting Show!I reccomend to go early since you can spend a whoke day there. Remember to wear your mask(s), bring cash, wear comfortable shoes, and enjoy!