“
12 ENTERTAINMENT
Echo Wednesday, September 27, 2017
General information
Weekend themes
Rennfest Aug. 19 to Oct. 1 Adult ticket price $20.95 Child ticket price $12.95 Free parking
Festival Friday Sept. 29 • Ladies shopping day • Education day • Dungeons and Dragons tournament
My favorite part of the Renfest are the workers. They’re so fun and try to submerge you in the culture. Ayanna Nathan, junior
October Fest Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 • Bavarian Village • Beard competition • Weiner dog races • Polka lessons
Charge ahead: A knight charges at his opponent in the jousting arena during a show.
Let the pins fly: Renaissance Festival entertainer juggles bowling pins during the 10 year running act, “The Danger Committee.”
Giddy up: A knight marshal gallops across the jousting arena at the Renaissance Festival. The Renaissance festival
Celebration REVIEW creates outlandish world alking through the castle gates of The Renaissance Festival, I was reminded of the magical experience it provides for people of all ages. Going to the Renaissance Festival (Renfest) has been a family tradition of mine ever since I was five-years old. Of course, for older kids, the Renfest has lost some of its charm, especially if you’re not really into the full jester or knight costume in summer heat. However, there is no shortage of fun activities and sideshow events to entertain yourself.
The festival is roughly the size of the Minnesota State Fair, although tickets are pricier and cost $20.95 per person. The layout is a bit confusing since there isn’t one specific section for shops and one section for food. Instead, they are peppered all over the fair, which makes it hard to find the specific meal you’re looking for. I’ve been going to the Renfest for roughly 13 years, and I have yet to try half of the food they offer. Food ranges from spinach pies, gyros, bacon mac n’ cheese to their famous turkey legs. All of it delicious and slightly overpriced, which is typical for all fair food. Along with large numbers of fried food, there is entertainment at the fair. There are rides, but they’re mostly meant for kids under the age of 11 and aren’t anything special. For older
festival-goers, there are plenty of comedy and talent shows that are free to watch and occasionally participate in. The times and locations of events are posted on a map you can get when entering the festival. Many of the shops at the Renfest have goods made by artists such as quilts, jewelry, walking sticks and even armor and swords. Some will be made right in front of you, such as wax hands and even glass blowing. Many of these goods are very expensive, but are fun to look at and ask the artists about. Almost every one of the employees at the Renfest are in character, adding to the fun and overall experience of the festival. For those interested in attending, he festival runs from Aug. 19 to Oct. 1. Tickets are $20.95 and $12.50 for kids.
Sept. 15 - Oct. 8
Sept. 29
Oct.6
Oct. 16
Experience a Broadway musical here in the Metro Area with a new production of the Disneyclassic, Aladdin, showing at the Orpheum this fall. Tickets for the show start at $39.
This fall, Miley Cyrus returns to mainstream music with her new album, titled “Younger Now.” The album is currently available for preorder on iTunes and presave on Spotify.
The long-awaited sequel to a 1982 science-fiction classic, “Blade Runner 2049” hits theaters this fall. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, and is rated R.
Indie-rock band Imagine Dragons will rock the Xcel Energy Center this coming October, touring its successful third studio album, “Evolve.” Tickets for the tour start at $55.
Renaissance Festival W transports Minnesotans back in time
Lukas Levin lukaslevin@slpecho.com
METRO AT A GLANCE Isaac Wert isaacwert@slpecho.com
Photos used with permission from Deen van Meer, RCA Records, Warner Brothers and Xcel Energy Center
Photos Isaac Wahl