Minnesota Renaissance Festival

I don’t know how many years I’ve been going to the Ren Fest but I’m always excited to go. My partner and I have a summer tradition to make sure we go and we always choose the Fest over the State Fair. So many things to do besides eat!
This past year was the only disappointing one we had. We made the mistake of going with his family and there were too many kids and too many adults with conflicting ideals. So family was the only thing ruining the Fest… we went again by ourselves on the last day of and I do not recommend this! It was so crowded and they were running out of food. Pretty sad.
I’ve been using a Living Social deal for the past few years and get tickets at half price on certain theme weekends.
We’ve been to the German beer tasting weekend and it was awesome! Free beer events that were entertaining and so many beer samples I had a hard time finishing them. Super fun.
They have a herpetology society that we saw this year and they had so many scaled creatures to see and learn about. Some of the people that brought pets could have been more welcoming but you can’t have it all.
I’m a forever fan of the Fest however, they do have elephants and large animals that I do not agree with and after reading one of the other reviews here I do question how their animals are treated. Though if I live my life avoiding people who take animals for granted I would never leave my house.
Though I love the Ren Fest, I believe they have a lot to improve on but with their rent/​lease situation I really can’t hold that against them.

I am home here. Bring on the mead, dragons, and fairies!
The only down side of this is the parking– last year the wait to drive to one of the lots, park, and take a forced bus ride to the entrance was almost 3 hours. I would have gotten there sooner if I walked.
Can’t deny the deliciousness of the turkey leg though, I tear into that thing like a starving barbaric woman. Being able to sneak a piece to my canines who are also in tow is awesome!

Here’s how you know you’re having a good time at the Renaissance Festival: You cannot wait until you get to the next mead stand and you happily laugh when a stranger yells at you — especially if it’s about needing more mead. For the record, I had a really good time at the Renaissance Festival.
This was my first time going to this Renaissance Festival, though I have been to some in the past. I think the thing I found so impressive was that the village is really like stepping into another universe. I think part of this is because it has been in the same place for so long… the trees have all grown up and around the buildings. Everything has the feeling that it has been there since Renaissance times. People of course dress to the nines, but it really is just so authentic in large part because it really has been built over time like a real village would be.
I loved, loved, loved, loved the «faire thee well» banner over the Queen’s gate.
There are so many fun things to look at. We really enjoyed watching people play the games — the fencing, the Vegetable Justice guy was hysterical and Dunk the Wench was also entertaining. We saw some dancers, we saw the dirty poet (must see, so hilarious!!!) and we just generally enjoyed the merriment of wandering around and people watching.
The one thing I think I wish I knew ahead of time is how much cash I would need. We only stayed for half the day and I wish I had brought about twice as much cash with me. There are ATMs on the premises, but better to come prepared. Also, as others have mentioned, parking is a bit… rugged. Best to bring a vehicle that has AWD or 4WD if you have one.

Traffic was a nightmare. Spent three hours stuck in the parking lot. Couldn’t even try the foods/​drinks because the lines were all too long.

Parking is abysmal. I got there at 12:00pm. It took about 1.5 hours just to PARK and they put us in a mud field with unmowed grass and giant rocks. My poor Toyota Corolla could barely handle it. There was no warning as to how long parking would take and no warning as to the conditions. I wonder how many cars got stuck or damaged just today. Probably a lot.
There is also a long line just to leave. Be sure to have enough gas, you could run out waiting before or after.
Then we saw an orange barn kitten get hit by a car that was in line. As the kitten (with at least 1 broken hind leg) tried to flail itself to the edge of the road, the guy directing cars picked it up and threw it into the woods. This is the guy that stands at the spot where the people in line leaving meet the people in line getting there. He is a monster.
It was not worth the hassle. Jurassic Park would not be worth this hassle. I had never been there before and I will not be back.

I’ve been a cast member and a playtron at other festivals for more than 20 years and this is to say the very least a let down. When I go through the web site of street performers. then walk through the festival I almost NEVER see them! My highlight this past weekend was a VISITING street performer who outdid everyone else there!
The food gives me an upset stomach every time I go no matter what I get at this point I’m taking a picnic lunch in my car & getting my hand stamped. This past week when I bought my food the girl had to be TOLD how much the food was she COULD NOT DO THE MATH.
The stage acts are good But I am glad they are looking for a new location they NEED it.
The vendors are plentiful in number but need to plan stock better for those who do Bristol as well as MN. The first few weeks the shops look barren until Bristol closes & they get the infusion of stock from there. If you really want me to consider Bristol my HOME faire it will just take a little more financial planning people.
Like almost everything else I’ve experienced in MN it lacks caring or trying by a lot of the people I have come across who are involved. It’s hard to enjoy something when it seems like the people involved in it don’t care about it.

Seriously 3.5??? Craziness! This place is da muther fu*king $hit!
The Renaissance Fair of Minnesota is a gem and you guys don’t even know it! A GEM! I get that it might not be perfect-​with the parking situation and the giant fu*king hole outside but lets face it, neither is Disneyland-​with its massive parking structure the size of an airport and its huge @ss lines just to get TO the park. Nothing is perfect but I dare say this place is near perfect. Give it a shot and experience it for yourselfs! Oh, and mind the village idiot! He will cuss you out and then hit on your wife (all in good fun). Be warned!

I «was» thinking of going, but after the many «not recommend reviews», I’m not going through hell and more hell, I’ll just wait for that at the end of time .
Parking suck and staffs are ass. Dam, why do people even go if it’s that bad. I guess because they haven’t seen REAL reviews, because those are hidden at the bottom on a separate page.
I rather know the truth then read fake reviews.

This was my first time at the fair. It was pretty entertaining. Do get there early, parking is pretty crazy. Just expect that and you are fine. Have plenty of cash, and small bills are helpful.
The joust was mildly entertaining. I have seen far better at medieval times. The turkey legs were very tasty. The people watching is very good. Multiple performers were quite good. The best part was the royal event we went to, Pig n Swig! Beer, bacon, and hilarious and usually raunchy performers. That event was awesome. Overall it was a good time.

First time at the festival, some friends took me. Shocked at how much fun it was. If you like people watching as much as I do you’ll have a great time. Good drinks (you need to buy your own mug), classic foods, and great folk music.

Pros: Once you manage to get into the festival, it’s actually pretty fun. My first time at this one. I’ve been to about 4 others and this was by far the largest and most well thought out from the fairy garden to the jousting. My bf was particularly impressed with the elephant rides and mead/​beer selection.
Cons: I honestly would have given this a 5 had it not been for the parking situation. What other reviewers are writing is not a joke. We spent an hour and half finding parking plus trudging through locusts and mud to find the entrance. They have some employees (the lovely folks of Shakopee sentenced to mandatory community service) waving flags and arms, but its seriously a joke. They have no idea what they are doing, and honestly, don’t care.
We were told that a «shuttle» was to pick us up at one location where we waited for 20 minutes. The shuttle is a giant school bus. I asked the guy in the bright vest if he was certain it was picking us up from where we were awkwardly standing. There was a group of about 30 waiting along with us. He responded in the affirmative, but it was just a way to placate us while he sexted his girl. Bus never came and picked people up at a different spot about half a mile back. By the time we realized this, we marched the mile and half to the entrance sans bus.
Oh and good luck getting out of the fair. I had to take my poor Honda Accord offroading just to get in a giant line to leave the ONE exit point when there could have easily been multiple. When you have a bunch of annoyed drivers with crying kids in the backseat, you are going to see some ugly behavior/​driving.
It’s really unfortunate, because it tainted what would have otherwise been an amazing stay.

Hail my Ladies and Good Sirs, I have my fellow Unilocalers to thank for my recent Ren. Festival experience. «Get there early!» I loaded up the husband and two kids by 9am on Saturday and away we went. Amazingly, we arrived without much of a line and parked easily. The shuttle was dumb because there weren’t many people there, but many empty buses.
The parking people were VERY nice and helpful.
Every «person» we encountered at the Festival was nice.
My dream was to ride an elephant. $ 4 per person seemed just fine by me until we walked in the tiniest circle and it was over. Hmph I get that we don’t want to tire out the animals, but really?
My 9yo son’s only purpose of the fair was to buy the wooden bow and arrow. No problem there.
Jousting: eh, just ok. The guy’s microphone kept cutting out (he kept trying to fix it) but we still heard NOTHING but mumbling and had no idea what they were doing.
Oh woe is me the Mermaid Cove! UGH we stood in line for at least 20 minutes and finally, finally saw two mermaids on rocks messing with their hair and «singing» and one half in the dunk tank. Blah! I expected a lot more mermaidy IN water action. So disappointing.
Upon exiting we got in a Loooong line (which we found out was also the way to park in another lot so you can imagine…) Luckily, I asked a parking attendant and she said, cut across here and go out there. Easy Peesy!
This really isn’t my scene, but it’s more or less what I expected and I got to skip the MN State Fair for once. Egads.

This was our first visit to Renaissance Festival.
We reached around noon and it took us 30 minutes to park and another 15 minutes to walk to the festival entrance gate. Parts of the parking were still not dry.
The free shows were good across the festival and we had a good time. We had a good time checking out a lot of shops, but did not buy anything. Everyone was in renaissance era dress, many of the visitors too, which was great. There were areas which may have been not worked well for visitors with disability, but I think the areas were setup with renaissance era in mind.
There were pretty long lines for food shops, so we did not bother waiting for food.
Overall, it was a pretty good visit.

My brothers and I are sort of RPG nerds. We also play WoW and some other MMO’s. Hadn’t been here since I was a kid, and at the time it was held at an old colonial village. I heard that over the years they finally got their own place and it was huge. We decided to go, now that even my youngest brother is finally old enough to enjoy an adult beverage. We really are fans of the genre but had never all been out here together. We thought it would be a blast to go out here.
===PARKING===
God almighty, what a nightmare. We even left early, getting out of the cities at 9a.m. As you head down 169, you have the ability to choose from two parking lots. You can take the first right (heading West) and park in the «Queen’s Lot». We came in two cars and my brothers chose this option. So did everyone else. They all just saw the sign saying to turn for RenFest and they all did. No one would let me merge in so I continued on heading straight (South) to whatever the second option was.
I ended up in the «King’s Lot». If you’ve ever been to Trail of Terror, this is the lot you’d be parking in. I was familiar with it. I was able to park up front in the first 5 rows at 9:45 a.m. I trudged up to the gate (now a 15 minute walk, as some mining company has mined out a big pit between the lot and the entrance, so you just can’t walk straight up. I texted my brothers to find a spot to meet-​up. They weren’t even in the lot yet. It would be another HOUR AND A HALF before they successfully parked and got to the opposite side gate. RIDICULOUS.
I spent my time sitting on a rock people watching and giving my brothers a hard time for picking that lot. Karma would return to bite me. Since I got almost the front row and rock star parking, when it came time to leave — and we stayed to close (big mistake) — it was my turn to wait. It took me nearly TWO HOURS to get out of the lot. What a cluster. No flagmen directing traffic. No rhyme or reason. Just an all out every-​man-​for-​himself free for all to get out of two exits. I saw several heated verbal confrontations between people who alternately wouldn’t let anyone merge in, and one who apparently let her friend «budge» by letting the other car from their group merge in.
===THE STAFF===
I do know someone that works there, and he’s a super nice guy, but he must be the exception. The actors at the human sized chessboard were jerks. The actors playing chess could joke and jest with each other and the actors portraying doting fans and observers could heckle the players, but the moment any attendee from the crowd would tease someone for a bad move or shout out a suggestion on how to move a piece they would immediately stop playing and go up and yell at the person for interrupting their «performance». They were seriously rude about it too. How on earth would one know if the people sitting around watching the game were just attendees in dress-​up or actors trying to portray a game of chess. And who even acts out a round of chess? Stupid. My brother (before we knew all this) shouted out a suggestion, which was a good move and the actor followed, was then approached by another upset actor who demanded my brother give him a dollar. He said there was a «fee for suggestions». We thought he was kidding and went back to watching. But he wouldn’t leave us alone, and the game wouldn’t continue. He even threatened to kick us out. We still thought he was kidding or acting (since some of the actors there are rude or mean in jest as part of the acting) but he was a dead on a-​hole who was hard up for a dollar. My brother finally fished one out of his wallet and the guy continued to lecture us about interrupting a performance. Really?
Also, long lines at every single food station and the staff were lazy as can be. The line to get a soda was 33 people deep (I counted) and I waited 17 minutes to get a soda (funny how being a Unilocaler makes you measure odd things just so you can Unilocal about it later). It was one old chubby guy who would take your cash, then waddle over to a soda fountain and slowly fill it. Wait for the foam to bubble over, top it off, wait again, and then bring it to you. All in slow motion. Seriously. They couldn’t make this a two man station — one on cash and one filling orders? The lines were super long for food everywhere. If they are trying to save money on personnel it’s clearly coming out of their potential income. Twice I bailed out of line and decided not to buy their over priced food because the lines were too long. I saw this happen with lots of people and with my brothers. They passed up a ton of income just by poorly staffing these stations.
The fest is just too big for it’s britches now. It’s understaffed and oversold.

This pains me, because this is my FAVORITE fair — but it has to be done. The service this year was absolutely INEXCUSABLE.
Bad news first:
The Renn Faire opens at 10:00am, and we are used to being lined up down 169 waiting to get in, but not this year. We were only on the highway for a small amount of time, which falsely led us to believe that it would be a smooth entrance BOY were we wrong. Once you got in they split the cars into two lines and diverted everyone on a 2 hour rendezvous around the grounds twisting and turning, sliding through mud and dirt to lead to a «queens lot». They KNEW how long this would be as there were porta-​potties stationed along the ‘trail’ that people were getting out of their cars to use — daring to climb through the mud if you ask me. The ‘lot’ they brought us to was NOT mowed down at all which led everyone to traipse through knee high grass and mud. The entrance was up a huge hill and I saw several handicapped people severely struggling to get up the muddy hill. The staff was frustrated and cranky and unprofessional. After the two hours to get in I was informed by a couple staff what was different this year.
***Apparently the land used as a parking lot is owned separately, and designated for mining. Those who own the land chose to begin mining this year, and dug up the entire lot. It was piles of sand and dirt and tons of machinery was around. The staff/​owners were COMPLETELY AWARE that this would be the case, and had the audacity to charge the same amount with no warning whatsoever for fairgoers that there would be a significant delay, nor did they appropriately and safely prepare for the mass crowds (ie. mowing or handicap access). They are in the process of finding new land and moving the fair completely as the miners plan to level the grounds. Very sad news, but more angering that they chose to squeeze every last bit of money from the patrons. Not to mention several staff said that any negative reviews on their website were being wiped daily. SUPER sketchy business practices here guys.***
The good news:
Once inside the fair was as fun as ever. The shows were loud and engaging, the crowds were fired up and involved. The beer rules changed this year and only allows each person to purchase ONE beer at a time, which is a huge hassle. Carding is entirely too strict when it comes to adults (ie. elderly and parents over 40!). The food is still good enough — but those popover folks really need to start baking in shifts, Mom waited in line about half an hour for a $ 2 air pocket. The pickles were good, the petting zoo was fun, the vendors were plentiful.
Given the hassle to get in this year (and the fact that I can’t see that changing), and the horrible business practiced by the owners, I sadly cannot see myself coming back to support The Minnesota Renaissance — find me in Bristol WI.

I should first state, I am NOT a professional or regular attendee of the «Ren Fest» scene. My family had taken me to this same one when I was very young. We decided to share the experience with our daughter now that she’s is at the age of fantasy wonderment and loves fairies, princess, mermaids, etc. From this standpoint, I can say it had not only met, but exceeded our expectations. It was a delightful day filled with so many options and activities for every age.
First, I will state the only real con to the festival — the parking. They way their parking is arranged is very unorganized. There was no real system arranged. There was also no real guidance, you just sort of have to (fairy) wing it. We actually had to move because we were parked on a handicapped area, but there were no markings stating such. Someone had just pulled up and told us. Once the parking was settled though, it was all up hill from there.
The location of the festival is sort of out in the middle of a fairground/​woodland area. This made for a huge space that the made the most of. The entrance looked grand and everyone started very fun and in-​character. The staff & characters always made a point to start small chat with us, and most importantly, our daughter. You could tell she was enamores by the elaborate atmosphere.
As I mentioned, the events were endless. They had a mermaid cove with fantastic costumes and arrangements that made not only our 6 year-​old but ourselves question if these mermaids were real. The shows we went to were light-​hearted and had something for everyone. They included jousting, Robin Hood, and a trail down into the woods to see a small community of fairies and children dancing to a wonderful folk singer, Meadowlark.
Now, if your an adult without children or looking for more grown-​up atmosphere, fear not. The fair has an extensive list of pubs, wine vendors, and even beer/​wine socials. They have a list of «PG-​13» or «R» rates comedy troupes. I recommend Puke & Snot or the Tortuga Twins if you want a rowdy laughing fit.
Although, the parking was a hassle. I still do not count it against them. The hard work and unparalleled amount of detail these characters, volunteers, and employees put into putting this deserves a definite 5-​stars. The greatest part? The tired smile of our fairy princess with her hands filled with fairy treasure and her excitement that THE Queen told her how beautiful she was and hugged her goodbye. I say thank you to everyone involved. I highly recommend this event.

This place is hokey-​dokey fun! It’s a place to see some fun performance acts including jugglers, comedians, singers, The Danger Committee, among others, while walking around looking at all the costumed attendees and taking in the scenery. There’s also a petting zoo, camel & elephant rides (random and I really felt bad for the animals), the worlds largest fairy garden (maybe) and shops. They also had a «mermaid cove». I ran through pretty quick because it felt like a peep show/​freak show with a closed off area intended to view women even though it’s not risqué and they aren’t real mermaids — I think. It was awkward. The shops are mostly theme inspired but it’s still fun to look if costumes, crystals, leather goods and soaps even if that’s not your thing. The faire is a really fun place to wander about for a day.
Food left a bit to be desired. I had wild rice soup in a bread bowl and Shepard’s pie. Both were very good and pricey but not too unreasonable. For some reason, I was really hoping that there would be a few more options. All the food is run by one company so the same options are available on repeat as you walk around. I simply wasn’t tempted very often. The turkey legs did look quite good but I didn’t give one a try.
Restrooms are port a potties. They were clean but EW!
TIPS: The paths are wood chips and dirt. Do not wear flip flops or shoes that you want to keep clean. I wore hiking shoes and they were a smart choice. Also, bring singles for tipping.

Great place for walking around, trying new food, and seeing medieval action. There’s a lot of parking and shuttle busses that drive you to the front. I disagree with having a 22 dollar admission because we basically have to pay for everything inside. Other than that, great fun.

I go for the mead and stay for the people watching!
I’ve been there a couple times (this year and a few years ago), and it’s an interesting place. We usually go to sample the food, drink some good mead and catch a couple of the side shows. Puke and Snot are pretty funny — definitely not for kids. Moonie’s show & The Danger Committee were also pretty good, and more family friendly. There was quite a bit of stuff for kids to do; animal rides, bungee trampolines, petting zoo, fairy town, some mermaid thing…
We were there this year for the «wine and chocolate» themed day, and I have to say i was pretty disappointed with the theme area… It was kind of lame — only one chocolate vender, a cupcake judging contest, and a liquor store booth. I was expecting more. Maybe its better if you go during one of the scheduled theme events?

Ahhh, the renaissance. A time when women were under the heel of men. When marriage was our only proof of worth and if we didn’t belong to a man then we didn’t belong. But, I hear they used bacon and eggs for make-​up and you can’t really go wrong there! Let’s celebrate!
Okay, maybe the festival isn’t THAT historically accurate. But whose complaining?
This massive 7 weekend long themed festival helps you take a dive into the dirt and drunken feasts of Ye Olde Times. The festival grounds house wall after wall of shops and concessions. Your mead is very close by at all times so don’t worry about walking around. There is so much to do here, it’s ridiculous. It’s a great time for the whole family.
The shops are great but sometimes expensive. A lot of them sell Ren Fair merchandise, which is great for a memory keeper, but that can get boring. Move along to the guy that makes beautiful celtic wedding bands and chalices. Go to the blacksmith and find an awesome sword. Drink a beer. Take your kids over to the longbow competition. Watch a joust. Drink a beer. Catch a Puke and Snot comedy show while drinking a beer. Get some Beer Cheese soup in a bread bowl to go with your side of beer. Have a water fight with random people wearing costumes and hope they work there and aren’t just attending. Drink more beer.
Constant raunchy humor and the guy wanting you to put his pickle in your mouth. I feel at home at this place.
Two things I will mention that are just good to know before you go.
1.)The parking sucks ass on the last weekend. No kidding, you can end up walking over a mile to and from your car. Either go on a different weekend or get a handicapped friend to go with. They get to park in the front.
2.) This isn’t going to be a cheap venture, as Danielle E. already said. But it’s well worth the experience.
Not for the closed minded. Jesus hit on my girlfriend a couple years ago. No joke.