Fans of both the World of Warcraft MMO and trading card game (TCG) might remember the real-life Darkmoon Faire hosted in select cities last year. Created by Blizzard and Upper Deck, the WoW-themed carnival/TCG event returns to Amsterdam this year on Sept. 12 and 13, and hits Austin, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada in October. The event's name and theme are inspired from the in-game Darkmoon Faire in WoW, a traveling carnival that players can visit each month to win prizes and play games.

The Upper Deck event in Amsterdam focuses mainly on the company's World of Warcraft TCG and miniatures game, the former of which has been licensed out by Blizzard since 2006. Upper Deck uses the "Darkmoon Faire" name to host tournaments and other events around the world, including North America.

Upper Deck's Darkmoon Faire features a variety of tournaments and other games and events, including contests and a ticket-earning gimmick similar to the in-game mechanic found in WoW. Surprisingly, admission to the Faire is free, where the TCG "Darkmoon Faire Championships" are held, along with other tourneys. Last year, the Faire attracted many WoW fans who don't play the TCG, simply because of the theme and atmosphere of the event, which is modeled from its in-game namesake. Check out the Faire's main page on the Upper Deck website for more info and locations.