I don’t know about you but I have a particular fascination with Renaissance Festivals. And Charlotte, North Carolina hosts one of the nation’s absolute best. It’s called The Carolina Renaissance Festival and it’s happening now through November 16. Punch into your GPS Highway 73 at Poplar Tent Road in Charlotte.

If you are not familiar with this type of event, The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a 16th century

European style art and entertainment festival that combines exciting outdoor theater, circus entertainment, arts and crafts marketplace, a jousting tournament, a feast fit for royalty, and just a whole lot more. It’s great for old and young alike. Actually, I would go so far to say it has important educational overtones if you are trying to elevate your children’s experiences and exposure to more culturally oriented venues.

This is the 15th annual season. For a total of seven festive weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, through November 16, you can have a lot of fun all in one spectacular feast for the senses. Get this. The Carolina Renaissance Festival was first introduced in 1994 with six acres of exhibits, attractions and entertainment. Fast forward to 2008 and the event has grown into a twenty acre theme park brimming with charming cottages and castles, kitchens and pubs, and a most unusual collection of people powered rides and games of skill.

 In fact, this much anticipated North Carolina event has grown into one of the largest of the Renaissance fairs in the entire country. Tree lined lanes are filled with over 100 purveyors of crafts and food, and non-stop music and comedy shows are presented on 10 stages every event day.