Minnesota Renaissance Festival

Our downstairs neighbor is "royalty" at the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, so Duane felt that we should go and watch her perform.  I was NOT enthused about going, and stalled as long as I could.  Every weekend, he'd say "we should go to the Renaissance Festival" to which I would reply..."how about NEXT weekend??!!  Well...we ran out of weekends, as Sunday was the LAST day.

I couldn't FOR THE LIFE OF ME understand why Duane would want to go...Renaissance-y people just aren't his cup of tea.  They are WAY more "my kind of people", but even I think they are a little bizarre.  (The fact that I'd already BEEN to the Renaissance Festival THREE times in the last 10 years could have had something to do with my lack of enthusiasm as well...).

Anyway...I sucked it up, and we went.  I can honestly say that I DO NOT ENJOY the Renaissance Festival.  I used to...and I'm not sure WHEN I became old and uninteresting.  I WHOLEHEARTEDLY believe that the people that enjoy this kind of thing are entitled to their...fantasy, but I JUST think it's all a little TOO bizarre...

One of the first things we saw when we got there was the stormtrooper below.  I'm not sure WHY there was a stormtrooper at the Renaissance Festival.  I'm fairly certain they didn't come along until much, much later in history.  I guess, in a strange way, it made more sense than seeing Captain America a few minutes later (unfortunately of the pudgy, dorky variety...not the hot version...)...

We continued wandering around for a bit to get our bearings. I kept Duane moving, as it's a general rule that people standing around are FODDER for any "players" wandering around to target. It worked...we didn't get accosted by any Renaissance people at all...which was good. I was SO not in the mood. (There was a CLOSE CALL with the grim reaper, but we doubled back around the glass blowers hut, and moved on without incident...).

We had some wonderful barbecue at the bbq cookoff venue, watched a few minutes of Puke and Snot, then watched some guy get pelted by vegetables at "Vegetable Justice". We also listened to the wench insult people as they walked by the "Dunk the Wench" tank.

    

                                

One thing that I DID really like was the "midway" area. They had a HUGE rocking horse, a medieval (??) climbing wall, and big boat "swings", which, to get moving had festival people PUSHING and PULLING to make them go. No machinery at all...kind of cool!

We sat through a small bit of the performance by The Wacky Chickens (don't ask).

We also watched a bit of the "washing wenches" show, the sword and fire jugglers, then settled in for the magistrate's judgement session (in which our friend (below) was a player). After several "trials", and a sword duel or two, we decided it was time to head back to Eagan.

Luckily, as we were getting ready to leave, Duane stated "if I ever say 'let's go to the Renaissance Festival again...SHAKE ME REALLY HARD'". You'd better believe I will!!

Here's hoping YOU were able to experience something recently that, although not your particular "cup of tea" was, nonetheless, unique and interesting!