HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — The Carolina Renaissance Festival is back in full swing this year after a year of absence due to COVID-19.  

 

What You Need to Know 

  • Falconer Kevin Gaines says he struggled with the cancellations brought on by the pandemic last year
  • Gaines is glad to be back in front of a live audience, and festival goers can watch his performance at the Birds of Prey show

 

Faloncer Kevin Gaines describes the scene like Christmas morning. He walked onto a stage to see an audience packed beyond the seats. The cheers, laughter and mesmerized faces brought pure joy to his heart. It’s been a long time since he was able to educate and entertain a crowd in-person.

“Last year, I had eight individual programs in a year when I normally do eight programs in a weekend,” Gaines said.

Gaines is usually on the road for 10 months of the year. But in 2020, he spent most of his time at home with just his birds. 

“It felt like just a hole, like I wasn’t fulfilling a purpose,” Gaines said. “Anyone who wasn’t able to do the things that they normally did probably have that hole as well.”

Gaines owns 33 birds through a nonprofit called Wildlife Revealed. The group is dedicated to the education and preservation of the planet’s wildlife. During the pandemic, Gaines was in charge of taking care of all of the birds. He had very little money coming in, which made it a huge financial challenge.

“The cost of just the food alone is about $900 a month,” Gaines said. “My rat bill is about $800-900 a month. Not many people can say they have a rat bill.”

And that doesn’t include maintenance for the birds. He took out a PPP loan to stay afloat and started a YouTube channel. But he said even that wasn’t the same as entertaining a live audience. He felt like a piece of him was missing.

The spring of 2021 the tides started to change. He had a few more events and then came the Carolina Renaissance Festival in the fall.

“It’s like Christmas morning as a kid,” Gaines said. “It’s like wow, we’re going to do this. Let’s see the guests and do the show. I was grinning and excited to get back on stage.”

Gaines said he expects to make enough money this year to pay off his PPP loan. But more importantly, he has reached out to people in a way he couldn’t before about the importance of animal preservation and conservation.

“If I inform them and get them excited they will make positive decisions for the future,” Gaines said. “I feel like I am back to doing that mission.”

Gaines performs at the Birds of Prey show every weekend day during the Carolina Festival Festival, which runs through November 21. It opens at 10 a.m., but organizers recommend people arrive up to an hour early to avoid traffic. The event includes jousting, falconry, tomato tossing, music, games and more.