MN Renaissance Festival Still On for 2020

The 50th annual Minnesota Renaissance Festival is still slated to happen this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. It officially gets underway September 5 and goes through October 4.

Jim Peterson with the Minnesota Renaissance Festival gave a COVID-19 update in July. Per Governor Tim Walz's Executive Order, outdoor events in Minnesota are limited to 250 people.

"We have developed a draft preparedness Plan as part of our ongoing efforts to initiate mitigation measures and protocols for 2020 to provide a safe environment for patrons and participants," said Peterson.

Peterson went on to say, "We will not engage in any activity that is contrary to Minnesota State directives and it is our belief and hope that the amount of people testing positive, the severity of the cases, and the advancements in treatment will trend in the correct direction in Minnesota and that Governor Walz will issue a new Executive Order resulting in significantly more people being permitted to attend outdoor events in Minnesota."

According to the Renaissance Fest website, annual attendance is roughly 300,000 people making it the largest Renaissance Festival in the United States.

It's a long-standing beginning of fall tradition held each year in Shakopee, MN. Typically, the Renaissance Festival overlaps the last few days of the Minnesota State Fair, but, the Great Minnesota Get Together was cancelled this year.

The festival features food, an artisan market place, live entertainment, jousting, and several attractions.

This year's themed weekends include;

• Wine, Chocolate & Romance: September 5th, 6th &7th
• Pet Fest: September 12th & 13th
• BBQ, Bellies & Beer: September 19th & 20th
• Shamrocks & Shenanigans: September 26th & 27th
• Oktoberfest: October 3rd & 4th

Tickets are $25.95 for adults, and $16.95 for children. Tickets are discounted if you get them in advance. You can find the complete listing of ticket information on their website.