Minnesota Renaissance Festival
Minnesota Renaissance Festival
3.6
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
Closed
Friday
Closed
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
7 Weekends of Huzzah & Cheers! King Henry and his royal court invite one and all to his 16th Century European village featuring 16 stages of exciting entertainment. Over 250 artisans fill the Festival marketplace to display and sell their handcrafted wares for a truly unique shopping experience. Patrons can interact with hundreds of memorable characters roaming the village streets as well as view live armored jousting throughout the day. Come celebrate our 52nd season by visiting the Festival grounds in Shakopee, MN. Huzzah!
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.6
22 reviews
Excellent
10
Very good
4
Average
1
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3
Terrible
4
Ursula T
2 contributions
Sep 2021 • Friends
I absolutely love attending renaissance faires and this one has always been great. The grounds are massive and you can easily get lost when searching for a particular shop. My husband, myself and a friend of ours stayed at a hotel that was essentially supposed to be a 15 minute drive to the fairgrounds. However we ended up spending over an hour driving to get there due to all the traffic and people trying to cut in line to get ahead. My husband was absolutely furious but this was our fault as we hadn't taken into account the amount of people attending. Once we go there we had so much fun. Sadly we weren't able to see any shows due to our friend constantly complaining about having to walk so much. Next year it'll just be me and my husband.
Other than that make sure to leave super early to get a great parking spot, wear comfortable shoes for walking, stay hydrated, take sunscreen and keep cash on hand as some shops or vendors don't accept cards.
Other than that make sure to leave super early to get a great parking spot, wear comfortable shoes for walking, stay hydrated, take sunscreen and keep cash on hand as some shops or vendors don't accept cards.
Written October 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robin T
Grand Rapids, MI112 contributions
Aug 2021
My boyfriend took me here for Date Day and we loved it. He hadn't been to the Renaissance Festival in a few years. You need more than one day to check out all the activities, people watching (so many people wearing cool costumes), shops, and food. We each got a Turkey Leg, and have great pictures of each of us attempting to eat it all. A helpful suggestion would be to provide everyone with a paper plate in addition to all the napkins, as the turkey legs come hot out of the oven and they are very heavy to carry. The only part that was absolutely disgusting were the Outhouses. I almost threw up it was so bad. There was no water or sanitizing solution in the "toilet bowls", so the smell was horrific, even with a mask on. Plus it was very hot the day we went, which made it even worse.
Written May 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Troy A
Omaha, NE11 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Out of great love for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival I write this review, hopefully to save it from itself. I have been going to this festival almost every year since about 1987. My family went this weekend, and yes it was very hot in the upper 90s, but even factoring in the heat it was almost a ghost town by 3:00. I have never seen it this dead before. The allure of this festival is to escape from the 21st century in some capacity for the day, maybe to dress up, put on an English accent (maybe Scottish, maybe something made up), engage in a little bawdy repartee, watch some jousting, shop interesting wares, eat, drink, and be merry. Unfortunately the fest is quickly spiraling down the woke rabbit hole. Whether it was being surrounded by pride and trans flags at almost every establishment , or “dame” Alice (clearly a man) “fighting” in the jousts, or the pungent aromas of various vaped substances wafting through the air…the charm was lost for me. It really makes no difference to me what you support or don’t support, but introducing such political elements ruins the allure. There are still men and women who value the old ways, and the rich cultural history of the age of chivalry, of western civilization, who just want to step out of the 21st century for a couple hours and not be immediately reminded of 21st century politics. We will probably sit out 2024. Been some great memories though. Slà inte Mhath.
Written September 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kublakate
Blaine, MN166 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
There is something for everyone here! Funny entertainment, huge amounts of artisanal and handmade products and artwork available to purchase. Lots of different types of tasty food. Adults might enjoy the artist demos like pottery, glass blowing, paper making, book binding, and more. Some people will enjoy shopping all the vendors. Others will try to catch as many shows, music, & entertainment that they can squeeze into a day. Kids will enjoy seeing people in costume, pictures with 'real' mermaids, and playing dress-up with the king & queen. I think $28 per adult ($19 per child) is a great deal considering how much fun you can fit into that one day.
Tip #1: Bring plenty of cash to avoid fees at the atm. Most shops take credit card, but most food vendors only accept cash. You'll also want tip the performers in cash.
Tip #2: Parking on-site requires a pre-paid reservation for the day you intend to visit. But you should consider if parking off-site and letting their busses drop you off closer to the entry is a better choice for you. The Park & Ride option is much cheaper.
Tip #3: Buy discount tickets at Cubs, Menards, and other places! $25 per adult ($16.50 per child) with no 'online transaction fees.'
Tip #4: There are vegetarian and vegan options, but not very many. Before visiting the fair, go to the website to find the "Fest Food" page. Write down the food items and corresponding area number of the foods that sound good to you. It's less spontaneous, but at least you'll be able to find something tasty to eat.
Tip #5: The earlier in the season you go, the smaller the crowds will be! (But the earlier in the season you go, the hotter the daytime temperatures will be.) Choose wisely!
Tip #6: If you are a real serious prude who gets offended every time you see somebody's shoulders, or if you have zero sense of humor, or if seeing a queer person with pink hair just makes you fume with anger... just stay home. It's ok. We all like different things. This isn't for you.
Tip #1: Bring plenty of cash to avoid fees at the atm. Most shops take credit card, but most food vendors only accept cash. You'll also want tip the performers in cash.
Tip #2: Parking on-site requires a pre-paid reservation for the day you intend to visit. But you should consider if parking off-site and letting their busses drop you off closer to the entry is a better choice for you. The Park & Ride option is much cheaper.
Tip #3: Buy discount tickets at Cubs, Menards, and other places! $25 per adult ($16.50 per child) with no 'online transaction fees.'
Tip #4: There are vegetarian and vegan options, but not very many. Before visiting the fair, go to the website to find the "Fest Food" page. Write down the food items and corresponding area number of the foods that sound good to you. It's less spontaneous, but at least you'll be able to find something tasty to eat.
Tip #5: The earlier in the season you go, the smaller the crowds will be! (But the earlier in the season you go, the hotter the daytime temperatures will be.) Choose wisely!
Tip #6: If you are a real serious prude who gets offended every time you see somebody's shoulders, or if you have zero sense of humor, or if seeing a queer person with pink hair just makes you fume with anger... just stay home. It's ok. We all like different things. This isn't for you.
Written September 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lauren D
Boulder, Colorado, United States8 contributions
Sep 2024 • Friends
I have been enjoying the renaissance for the last 30 years and this past Sunday September 15 will be the last time I or my friends attend. The staff was disappointing in that the vendors in the majority of the wine, beer and food stands were not dressed in anything Renaissance but regular street clothes nothing that resembled the Renaissance era. People enjoy the ambiance of going back in time and the management should have made it clear that dressing up is mandatory for the staff. There were children that were under 10 years old for sure that were serving food and teenagers that were on their phones and had to ask them for a service. I took a pic of a teenage girl that was supposed to be working but decided to jump over the top of the stand sit on the guest side swinging her legs and chatting on her cell phone! The turkey legs were good as always but the food choices and quality/price was clearly overpriced! The wine is a ripoff and glasses seemed to get smaller but price went higher . The majprity of the food and drink stands had to be paid in cash as we were told the WIFI does not work most of the day so it will work as it gets less crowded ! By 3:00 it was a ghost town and overheard people leaving due to the cash issue. I always thought I would attend this venue at least several times year until I get older but I and my friends have no intentions of ever going back to the Minnesota Renaissance!
Written September 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosie D
1 contribution
Sep 2024 • Family
Hmm. Not at all what I was expecting or remembered. Very ... interesting (?!!) people now attend, dressed in any and every kind of costume under the sun: Mermaids? Elves? Fairies? Goth? Modern movie characters? How are these even related to Renaissance times? Picture the weirdest "People of Walmart" type folks. Felt extremely out of place being a "mainstream" family there. Expensive parking, overpriced food, not the festive, happy place I remember. We won't need to do that again.
Written October 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Victoria
188 contributions
Aug 2022
Looking for some campy medieval/renaissance fun? Looking no further! Filled with comedy acts, shops, jousting, people in costume, and most importantly, festival food, the MN Renaissance Festival is the place to be!
If you're looking for authentic history, a good archive or museum is probably where you'd want to start. Like most renaissance festivals in North America, this is sort of a mashup between medieval, renaissance, folk, and fantasy.
Generous selection of shops and food. Areas for walking can get somewhat muddy if it rains. Bathrooms consist of port-a-potties, so you have to be ok with that if you plan on spending more than a couple of hours here. Pet friendly!
If you're looking for authentic history, a good archive or museum is probably where you'd want to start. Like most renaissance festivals in North America, this is sort of a mashup between medieval, renaissance, folk, and fantasy.
Generous selection of shops and food. Areas for walking can get somewhat muddy if it rains. Bathrooms consist of port-a-potties, so you have to be ok with that if you plan on spending more than a couple of hours here. Pet friendly!
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith M
2 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
We entered the parking area for the festival and were waved to the left lane. This lane was moving a car length at a time. The lane to the right was moving steadily and we watched hundreds of cars being parked while we inched along. We got to the end of the lane and were directed to the right. There was no employee where we entered the lot and we parked with the cars that were in front of us. We went in and were in the festival for 5 hours and came out to find our car had been towed to another lot on the grounds, more than a mile away. They refused to give us a ride to our car and expected us to walk. There were no signs that we had parked in the wrong area and when we left there were other cars parked there. Terrible employees who don’t give a crap!
Written September 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CuriousTraveler5050
Minneapolis, MN731 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
Most of the musical groups are good, some are ok. The food is very good. There are beer and mead booths all over. High quality hand made artwork is sold there - leather goods, metal goods, ceramics, pewter , etc. Also multiple stages for comedians and skits. Period dress is encouraged, but not required. It’s a great time each year.
Written August 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
William B
1 contribution
Sep 2024 • Solo
I've been attending and working in ren faires on the west coast for over 35 years, and this one was a massive disappointment on several fronts.
First, the ATMs, all of the atms were empty, and I checked 6 or 7. Normally that wouldn't phase me, because we live in a digital world, even at ren faires... but none of the ale houses take credit cards... seriously? The next question would be: who's getting pissed off at the faire staff for not having cash available to spend at the ale houses?... if I was running one, I'd have been seriously torqued.
Next, the sword vendor were very poorly equipped... Ok, I'm from a land of Chen swords and hand made pattern welded swords... but these guys had nothing.
For the money, just a very weak show. i left after 2 hours, hungry, thirsty and disappointed.
First, the ATMs, all of the atms were empty, and I checked 6 or 7. Normally that wouldn't phase me, because we live in a digital world, even at ren faires... but none of the ale houses take credit cards... seriously? The next question would be: who's getting pissed off at the faire staff for not having cash available to spend at the ale houses?... if I was running one, I'd have been seriously torqued.
Next, the sword vendor were very poorly equipped... Ok, I'm from a land of Chen swords and hand made pattern welded swords... but these guys had nothing.
For the money, just a very weak show. i left after 2 hours, hungry, thirsty and disappointed.
Written September 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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