Summertime is the perfect time to take in your city or state's local festivals.  In our neck of the woods there are several fests that take place each weekend.  There are many instances when there are three to four fests going on at the same time which gives us plenty options.

Last month my family and I received complimentary tickets to attend the Tennessee Renaissance Festival.  The Tennessee Renaissance Festival takes place each May in Arrington, TN.  This was our first time attending this festival and our first ever attending a renaissance festival.  The festival takes place at Castle Gwynn which is a castle that came into existence from a vision of a high school architect student in 1970.  Now that the castle is no longer a vision and actually the home of Mr. and Mrs. Freeman, it also is the perfect place to host the annual festival which is inspired by medieval times.

My family and I had a fun time experiencing the Village of Covington Glen after touring the Castle Gwynn. The grounds had several vendors selling and sharing their wares.  We were definitely tempted by the food which was good since we had planned to enjoy lunch a the fest.  Could we really experience the fest without trying the food?!

There was entertainment in the form of jousting and music. One of the big highlights was being able to ride a school bus from the village to the castle. 

We have enjoyed attending festivals as a family because they often provide us with new experiences.  Of course, it is usually hot when attending summer fests so I would highly recommend preparing for the temperatures.

Three Tips for an Enjoyable Festival Experience

• Select a festival that everyone in the family can enjoy.  Although we are usually eager to try out new things, we do make it a point to choose festivals that are kid friendly.
•  Plan to enjoy some of the things that are unique to the festival.  We made it a point to watch the jousting because this was a big part of the festival.  Jousting is often related to Medieval times so it was important to make sure we took time to view at least one event.
• Dress comfortably and have extra water.  Depending on the festival, you can find yourself walking miles.  It is important to wear clothes that fit event.  We made sure to wear tennis shoes for the festival because we weren't sure of the terrain or how much walking we would be doing.  Outside drinks are often not permitted at these types of events so it's important to bring extra dollars for water especially if it is a really hot day. 

We are planning to attend several more local festivals this summer.  I am excited that each one will be uniquely different. 

This week's giveaway is for the Road Trip Journal Ebook created by me. :)  In honor of hitting the road even if it's just a few miles down the highway, I am giving away three downloads. 

Here's your chance to win a copy of the Road Trip Journal Ebook.

To enter the giveaway: 

• Leave a comment and tell us which festival you and your family plan to attend this summer.
• Make sure to sign in with an email address and follow the comments so you will know if you have won. :)

This giveaway is open to U. S. residents ages 18 and above. No purchase is necessary to enter this giveaway.

The winner will be selected at random.  Those who have left a comment by 6/21/16 by 11:59 pm CST will be placed in the drawing.  The winner will be announced on 6/23/16. The winner must respond by 6/25/16 or the giveaway items will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected by random drawing.

Good luck!

The winners are Darcel, Steff, and Kristin.