Minnesota Renaissance Festival
| Minnesota Renaissance Festival | |
|---|---|
 Costumed participants at the 2007 Minnesota Renaissance Festival | |
| Genre | Renaissance fair |
| Dates | August - September |
| Location(s) | Shakopee, Minnesota 44°44′47″N 93°35′56″W / 44.74639°N 93.59889°W |
| Inaugurated | 1971 |
| Attendance | 320,000 (average) |
| Stages | 16 |
| Website | www |
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is a Renaissance fair, an interactive outdoor event which focuses on recreating the look and feel of a fictional 16th Century "England-like" fantasy kingdom.[1] It operates during weekends from mid-August until the final week in September on a site near the Minnesota River in Shakopee, a suburb of the Twin Cities.[2]
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival began in September 1971 on a 22-acre (89,000 m2) field in Jonathan, Minnesota. More than 25,000 people visited the two weekend grand opening of the festival then named “A Celebration of Nature, Art, and Life!” It was later moved to its current site in Shakopee where it continues as one of the oldest and largest Renaissance fairs in the United States. It has played host to the early careers of such national acts as the magicians Penn & Teller and The Flying Karamazov Brothers juggling troupe, and it currently hosts acts such as Zilch the Torysteller, Twig the Fairy, Puke and Snot, Johnny Phoenix, The Tortuga Twins, The Danger Committee and Vilification Tennis.[citation needed] On 19 August 1975, Penn & Teller did their first show together at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. [3] Jason Mraz also worked as a pickle boy early in his performance career.[4]
The festival features over 700 entertainers, 275 crafters, and 120 food booths.
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is one of several such events in the United States owned and operated by Mid-America Festivals.
See also
- Renaissance fair
- List of Renaissance fairs
- Reenactment
- Jousting
- Society for Creative Anachronism
- List of open air and living history museums in the United States
References
- ^ "Don't look to Ren Fest for history lesson". Star Tribune. 2011-09-27. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- ^ "Fantasy meets reality at Renaissance Festival". Star Tribune. 2011-08-31. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- ^ http://twitter.com/#!/pennjillette/status/104745893533716480
- ^ http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/124798254.html