Every year we take ourselves to one of our favorite places...The Carolina Renaissance Festival here in Charlotte NC (well, more like Concord. Its off of Poplar Tent Rd exit on I-85). EVERY...SINGLE...YEAR. Of course, this year was no exception. Many of the same acts from years past, some new acts. This year was the 20th anniversary, so every weekend they are bringing in an "Artiste du jour" to spice it up. This year was AMAZING! Seriously.
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| Slay a dragon. We have one of these for the past 13 years... |
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| hubba bubba and I starting our day off |
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| Looking at the map, debating what to do first |
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| I just wanted a close up of the crown I made... |
So We started off our day with one of our favorites "DON JUAN AND MIGUEL". (self proclaimed: A mexican and a Polish guy from Chicago") They do whip tricks, sword fighting, comedy, dirty jokes that sail over the kids heads. Don Juans daughter, Esmerelda appears with him on occasion. She is now heading off to Texas Renaissance Fair with her boyfriend, a world champion whip cracker.
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| Don Juan and Miguel |
Here is a series of whip shots from Don Juan and Esmerelda (The fair Esmerelda and hubba calls her. A little whip crush methinks) He had two bundles of pasta/-. She had to whip through one and leave the other intact. She's good.
Over the next hour or so we wandered around, looked at the various booths and vendors and then went to the opening joust.
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| Joust arena |
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| Queen and her princesses at the joust |
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| mistress of the games |
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| Our knight, Sir Edgeron. He was a cutie. |
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| Sir Maxamillian (the cheater) lancing through the rings |
ANATOMY OF A TILT:
Our next stop was to find something to EAT!! This year Peter had Steak on a Stake, Finn had a meatball Hoagie (very 1599 I know), Hubba had a grilled Portabello Mushroom sandwich(again, very renaissance) and I had a corn on the cob...which they had doused in so much butter that it dripped all down the husks and onto my shirt, effectively ruining it forever. Oh well.
We then headed to my favorite booth...the chocolate booth. Boys got a slab of rocky road fudge to share, I got a caramel apple with pecans and drizzled with white and dark chocolate. (and a personal note to the teenage girl working behind the counter...I am sorry you dont want to be there, but it is your job and you need to learn how to talk to people instead of mumbling and trying to figure out the math on your fingers)
So ontoto our favorite act of the entire faire...THE LONDON BROIL!!! (London Broil Core Audience...huah!) I have seen these guys every year for the past 14 years here at Carolina Renfest. I have seen them get a little older, a little grayer, but still so darn funny!!) Peter was a 5 months old his first London Broil Show...he is now 13. I LOVE the London Broil. I think the reason I enjoy them year after year is that they obviously love juggling together. They have fun. Yes, it is their job, but they are like 3 best friends who goof off on stage, while working. Its really just FUN to watch the chemistry between them.
Here is Matt with his pretty princess hair(seriously? Did you lose a bet??), opening the show with some flames of fury juggling:
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| You can see where the torch is starting to get away from him |
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| "hey, no big deal..." |
All three, Matt, Louis and Duncan doing what they do best...
Duncan
Here is Matt being proclaimed KING of the show with a pretty princess tiara, to go with his pretty princess hair....again, did you lose a bet?? .
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| "try this at home kids...'cause where else you gonna try it??" |
Finn then tried his hand at Jacobs ladder....it did not end well. It ended with him on his butt in the hay.
Our next stop was BARELY BALANCED. These guys, Small, Medium and Large are amazing together. They balance on each other, juggle, contort etc.
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| This kid was chosen from the audience. His face was priceless. |
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| Her body is SICK! I want abs like hers when I grow up. |
Our next stop was the Falconry Show. We always enjoy this one, they have a large variety of really amazingly beautiful birds.
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| Jake the Harris Hawk. |
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| Archimedes the eurasian eagle owl. |
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| Widget the barn owl |
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| Cricket, the Aplomado falcon |
Then the final Don Juan and Miguel show of the day. This is world champ and guinness book record holder Adam Crack, whipping open a can of soda.
I got a new pretty:
Sunburn, joust, spending way too much money...nothing like a good old Renaissance festival. Thanks again for another GREAT year!!
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