2015 Renaissance Festival

So we went to opening weekend of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and then went back for the belly dance weekend. Unfortunately I completely forgot my camera on the belly dance jaunt so I only have a few photos taken with my phone. Nonetheless I want to put up a few pictures to show what a great time we had.

As always we saw some interesting people and thingsThe first is that, when you enter now things have changed greatly. It seems there are only a few places in the U.S. where the sand for fracking can be come by and so they are literally digging up the ground beneath our Renaissance feet (and tires). The parking lot is smaller and we have to walk much farther to get to the festival. As you can see below we have to walk down into the pit and then back up to get from the parking lot to the realm.

 

Of course we had to visit our friend Marla at M. Ferrara Leather. She doesn't seem to age or get any less beautiful. 

 

We also stopped to see the Danger Committee who had a few new stupid tricks up their sleeves as well as some of the same old diatribes about the renaissance festival and its attendees.

 

We saw a new tumbling act called "Tumble and Toil".

 

They're still working out the kinks, but we enjoyed seeing something new.

 

Jim and Lazlo did most of the same jokes at the feast. They tried adding a few new ones but I can't say that it improved the show any. It was still bawdy and the guys loved the infantile humor and the women seemed pretty intoxicated and oblivious.

They had this new thing where they took trash cans with elastic plastic across one end and used them as guns to knock cups off of people's heads (or hands as seen below). Later they fed smoke machine smoke into the trash cans and shot smoke circles. That was pretty cute!

One of my favorite parts is the Royal Revelers. They sing bawdy limericks and even though as far as I can tell they don't change lyrics either too much, the costumes and voices are beautiful and I always enjoy hearing them sing.

The food was good and they kept the wine flowing.

...and we got to hear Zilch the Tory Steller do his Renaissance Free bird rendition onhis Mandolin. "Nay, Nay I cannoteth Change. Nonny, Nonny I cannoteth Change..." 

There was also a magician and of course the belly dancers.

The first day we had lovely sunny weather and everyone joyed in it.

I enjoyed seeing the costumes...

and interesting people.  These women came to see the belly dancers and had a marvelous time.

Of course we did too, because the dancers were entertianing and energetic.

 

  

 

These fairies were a delightful addition to the fair ambiance.

 

I laughed really hard at this woman's shredded turkey leg which she held up gingerly as she ate.

 

There turned out to be two dogs in this wagon!

 

And I didn't get a good shot, but the cooler weather of the second weekend meant more people in mail and armor.

 

We also stopped by the gypsy camp to see the tribal dancers.

 

 

We did a lot more and bought some stuff too, but that is a bit of our visit this year!