Iowa Renaissance Festival, Amana

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Nebraska Renaissance Faire, though it’s easy to imagine it’s been happening for 400 years. Throughout the weekend, the faire transports visitors into a medieval world enlivened by combat, comedy, and interactive play. Along with the immersive entertainment, the faire features a smorgasbord's worth of gigantic turkey legs and merchants selling wares such as pottery, leatherwork, and more. Here are just a few highlights that await your own medieval journey:

• The games: Armored knights compete for honor on the combat field, while everyday people grasp for glory at games of skill.

• The colorful cast of characters: Over 200 costumed characters stroll the fair grounds, including court jesters, fairytale creatures, and living history actors.

• Feeding a hero's appetite: Feast on hefty turkey legs fit for a monarch, and sip ale from decorative souvenir mugs.

• Terror on the high seas of the Elkhorn: The Nebraska Renaissance Faire joins with the Midlands Pirate Festival, a gathering of rugged buccaneers and seafarers straight from the 18th century Caribbean.