BY CHRISTIAN WARREN FREED
You’ve no doubt heard of the annual Carolina Renaissance Festival held in the fall outside of Charlotte, but what if I told you there was no need to drive all that way? That you can find the same magic and marvels right here in our own backyard?
Every year, for 13 years now, Holly Springs comes alive with the roar of dragons, the clashing of swords as knights vie for the favor of the lords and ladies of the land, and the excitement of thousands of fans and enthusiasts. Yes, friends, I’m speaking of the Festival of Legends.
Originally hosted in the quiet woods outside of Chapel Hill before moving to Optimist Farm for several years, Festival of Legends now conveniently takes place at Sugg Farm (2401 Grigsby Avenue). This year’s event will take place on April 25-26 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day. The brainchild of Jeffrey Kass, this unique weekend is the culmination of every child’s dreams of fantasy. Jeffrey uses his past experiences as a performer in both the Michigan and Carolina renaissance festivals to create a world where people of all ages are welcome while paying homage to his own dream.
“I thought for years how incredible it would be to create my own event, both as a way to contribute to a world that has given so much to me, and as a way to help make this amazing experience available to more people,” Jeffrey said.
It wasn’t until he was in the midst of dealing with a personal tragedy that Jeffrey realized how sad it was that so many of us never take that final step to realize their dreams. Thus, Festival of Legends was born. Partnering with a local mead outfit, Jeffrey began work on what has become his life’s dream.
Each year’s event grows, and with it, so does the legend. The goal is simple: provide an escape from the real world while working to improve it at the same time. Festival of Legends provides an escape. A place for minds to wander and dreams to come true. It has evolved into a welcoming community for patrons and participants, where all are welcome to go and hide from the real world, even if just for one spring weekend. Nothing says success like seeing the awe in a child’s eyes as they encounter their first dragon or watch knights in shining armor duel to the roars of the crowds.
While Festival of Legends started small, it has evolved and grown year after year. The very first festival featured 20 vendors and around 500 attendees. Last year, the first at the new location, saw more than 7,000 attendees perusing at least 200 artists and vendors. Jeffrey remains humbled and amazed at how his initial vision has taken off and continues expanding.
He hopes to find a permanent home for this event, where he has all the help he needs to transform his vision into a “beautiful mythic other-world.” Of course, he admits it might never come to that, but he and his band of assistants make each year better than the last and are doing their best.
What makes this more incredible, from a planning and execution standpoint, is that Jeffrey has never held any role related to event planning. To this day, he still refers to it as his “very passionate hobby.” He spends his days as a multi-certified secondary education teacher in science and English. Jeffrey’s twenty-plus years in the classroom, from public school to a hospital school, gave him access to what far too many children are lacking: a way to express their imaginations.
Once school ends, he turns his attention to that passionate hobby. The intensity involved in putting so many moving parts together in flawless order drains his batteries, often leaving him feeling spent and unwilling to tackle other big projects for up to two months. What helps is the knowledge that he’s adding a bit of magic in a world where so much confusion, anger, and vitriol seem intent on swallowing us all.
There are plenty of comic cons in the area. From the mountains of Boone to the shores of Wilmington, dozens of towns transform their community centers and libraries into different worlds for a day or weekend at a time. Some thrive, others fail, but their unified purpose gives dreamers the opportunity to tune out the real world.
Many of the performers for Festival of Legends come from out of state. These performers dedicate their lives to enhancing those of others. They come dressed as pirates, magicians, knights, and more, each delivering mirth and happiness to the thousands of attendees. As Jeffrey says, “People are always telling me everyone always seems so happy to be here!” What higher praise is there than that?
This year’s event promises to be the biggest one yet. From giant dragon puppets to flame dancers, Festival of Legends strives to build upon the previous events. More than 200 vendors will be out selling their wares, some of them from right here in Holly Springs! To see if your favorite vendor (or, ahem, fantasy novelist) is returning or setting up for the first time, you can find a complete list on their website. If knights and dragons aren’t your thing, there will be a petting zoo (with reptiles, too), rescue raptors, and other real animals to entertain. Debuting this year is a trained dog show as well.
Unlike many of the other events throughout the state, everyone who makes Festival of Legends come alive is a volunteer. From the grounds and admission crews to the directors, each person does it for the love of the genre and the hope of bringing a little wonder to life.
Jeffrey is always looking for dedicated folks of any and every skill level — including those who have zero experience! They say it takes a village to raise a child, well, it takes more than that to continually put on a major weekend event. If you are feeling a little restless and this has piqued your curiosity, reach out to Jeffrey and throw your hat in the ring.
“Help us make Festival of Legends come alive again for another year,” Jeffrey proclaims.
Do you accept the challenge, Holly Springs?
Where would you rather be on a sunny, late-spring weekend? You can expect music, vendors, food, drinks, magic, animals (sorry, no live dragons!), fire dancing, and more to bring Sugg Farm to life like nothing else can. There will also be plenty of events geared for children, making Festival of Legends a truly community event.
So, strap on your favorite set of armor, sharpen those swords, and prepare to enter a weekend world of myth and fantasy. Let your imagination run wild and give yourself a weekend to live like never before. Adventure awaits, my friends.
To learn more: facebook.com/festivaloflegends, festivaloflegends.com, or email festivaloflegends@gmail.com.
