Local News - October 2003

Festival to feature medieval merriment

Renaissance reborn

By AMY WADSWORTH, Staff Writer

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Take an escape to a pretend town filled with castles, cottages, medieval tents and human-powered amusement rides.

The 10th annual Carolina Renaissance Festival kicks off this weekend and will run for seven weekends, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 16.

“People love the overall atmosphere of the festival,” said Jeffrey Siegel, producer of the event. “They like the autumn woods; it is an honest escapism.”

This year’s festival has some new added attractions.

“We have added two acres of fairgrounds and some new arts and crafts vendors,” Siegel said. “We also have a new Dutch Door Stage, which is a woodcutter’s cottage in the woods for comedy shows.”

There is also “The Sturdy Beggars” who will perform a comedy show called “The Mud Show.”

“It is called the greatest show in earth,” said Marketing Director Melissa Nagy. “The show is literally in the mud.”

Another new addition is the Assault Catapult which is a giant trampoline for children and adults. A catapult is an ancient military contrivance for throwing stones.

The opponent is actually placed into the catapult.

“It is a human catapult which will inject the person like a sling shot,” he said. “I wasn’t sure it would be ready for this year but we are excited that it is.”

Siegal said he averages 8 to 12,000 people a day to come to the festival.

“It is a pretty unique place with tons of people in costume,” he said. “It is like a classical Monty Python come to life.”

Nagy said the site is so much bigger than people imagine.

“It is fascinating,” she said. “It’s a big affair, the buildings are gorgeous and it is great to stroll through the village where there are over 200 street characters.”

She said it is like something out of a movie.

“The characters actually interact with you,” she said. “It is definitely an all day event to see everything.”

Many of the popular amusements will also be at the festival, including the Mother and Father Goose brought to life, the largest rocking chair and the Vegetable Justice, who visitors can throw tomatoes at.

There is an outdoor theater, a circus, jousting tournament, a feast and over 100 craft vendors.

With this being the 10th anniversary, Siegel said he hopes the festival is a tradition for everyone.

“Our goal is for people to come out and leave their cares behind,” he said. “We want them to leave with a smile on their face.”

The festival is held on 20 acres of land located on N.C. 73 at Poplar Tent Road (between I-77 and I-85). The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, rain or shine Saturday and Sundays from Oct. 4 through Nov. 16.

Tickets are $14 for adults, $5 for kids ages 5-12, and are available at Harris Teeter. Children under five are free. Tickets at the gate are $1 more. Parking is free.

For more information, call 704-896-5544 or go to www.renfestinfo.com.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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