The Minnesota Renaissance Festival
The Joust
If you live in the west metro of the Twin Cities, chances are you have heard about the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Each year thousands of people, young and old dress up, and go to the festival located in Shakopee, MN. It is a place to eat, drink, and be happy. The Festival begins in late summer and goes through some weekends in the fall. With three weekends left, there is still plenty of time to go and watch shows, including the Danger Committee, Tuey the Juggler, Toil & Tumble and plenty more. One of the most popular events is the Feast of Fantasy (tickets must be purchased in advance). Keep in mind that this is for people over 21. However, once a year, there is a Family Friendly Feast for all to enjoy. At this feast, your taste buds will experience 6 courses of food, as well as entertainment.
The Fairy Forest and Mermaid Cove are very popular for the young ones. The fairies are sure to interact and make you smile. The jousts are a favorite for people of all ages. Be sure to get there early for a front row seat to watch the knights fight with no surrender. They start off on horseback, but move to swords, axes and shields for the end. Many of the stage shows are free, so be sure to tip the actors because it is how the make their money. The Renaissance Festival draws more than 300,000 people each year, and you can be one of them.
Remember to take notice that the festival is set to move to Jordan, MN in 2020. The land where the festival sits will be excavated for sand and other minerals. According to The Jordan Independent, this will be the preferred location because of the 150 acres it will be sitting on. With the Renaissance Festival moving, its shops will too. Many of the shops will move to the new location, however some will not go, so there will be new adventures and new shops at the new location.
