As I said last year I LOVE a costume party and while the Minnesota Renaissance Festival may frustrate some that it has become more of a cosplay convention for anything fantasy or even just nerdy instead of a sole celebration of the Renaissance era, I personally love it. You never know what you’re going to see. One second you’re looking at someone in period costume, the next second you’re looking at someone dressed up like Where’s Waldo, Batman or Bermuda Merlin from “Sword in the Stone” (true story haha).
You can check out my review from last year for some other foods I really like that are still available, but I did a really good job this year of trying new foods!
Pro: I liked everything enough.
Con: I missed out on the soup in a bread bowl, but there was also no way I was eating hot soup in today’s heat.
Minnesota Renaissance Festival Food:
Deep Fried Sushi – Tuna King: Spicy tuna, cream cheese, avocado, jalapeno with spicy mayo, unagi sauce and ponzu
The deep fried sushi is new this year and found at SushiFlip….I have to admit I was questioning my sanity for a minute buying sushi from a stand when it was so hot outside, but this is actually now a top 10 festival/fair/stand food for me.
They have another deep fried sushi option with shrimp tempura and standard sushi rolls, too.
Strawberry and Jam Popover
I have had popovers before and truthfully I don’t know how to describe the taste to someone who hasn’t. They’re like an eggy bread? I saw they had a strawberry, jam and I believe cream cheese (sorry I forgot to snap a pic) and this did taste like an unconventional breakfast pastry. Not my favorite, but I did like it more than a plain popover.
Cheeseburger Wontons
My sister-in-law got the cheeseburger wontons and shared one with me. I enjoyed my one, but I don’t think I would have wanted an entire serving of these. Our consensus was that we prefer traditional better.
Giant Pickle
A giant pickle is a tradition and Ren Fest staple that I refuse to break. Plus it helps neutralize your breath from all the beer! Bonus.
Turkey Leg Nachos
This was another sister-in-law pick I got to try. I saw online they were described as “Crisp corn tortilla chips piled high with smoky turkey burnt ends, creamy queso, and zesty pineapple salsa.” She could have elected not to have the salsa, but the other thing I noticed was that the queso actually tasted like beer cheese. If you want turkey leg but don’t want to eat something so large or to wait in the never-ending lines, this may be an option for you.
The fest food list online and in the program is good, but doesn’t list out every variation so make sure you stop at stands to look!
Minnesota Renaissance Festival Drink:
Smore’s Mocha
We got there just before 11 and had pub crawl tickets for 12:30 so I wanted to wait to start drinking alcohol until then. I was very excited when we went by the coffee stand that they had a new flavor this year – smore’s mocha! It was just what I wanted to start a hot day.
You can get a boozy coffee there also!
Merman: Orange juice, vodka, and blue curacao
This is the heaviest pour at the Renaissance Festival (2 years running) so if you’re looking for a boozy bang for your buck, this stand is for you!
Summit Brewing Company – Oatmeal Stout
Like I said above, we got pub crawl tickets – this was our 2nd year doing it. You pay up front for 3 pub stops with 3 drink tickets and scheduled entertainment. I was excited to see the Summit Oatmeal Stout as an option, because this is one of the lighter stouts, in my opinion, so I knew I’d be able to drink 3 no problem. My sister-in-law was drinking NUTRL.
Mead – Nefertiti (new 2025 flavor)
Mead is made by fermenting honey with water and yeast and the traditional Renaissance libation! This year they had a Nefertiti (hibiscus and lemon), which was my go-to.
Available Meads:
- Mead Nefertiti (hibiscus and lemon)
- Mead Blackberry Tart
- Mead Cottage (original honey)
- Mead Forest Fruit (Triple berry – the sweetest option)
- Mead Odin (Birch)
Atmosphere:
While there are some pubs you can sit inside at, RenFest is mostly an outdoor event. There are shows happening at the stages throughout the day, but also little “side quests,” with characters/entertainers that approach you and essentially perform for tips (aka 17th century panhandling haha). They also have games like throwing tomatoes, Jacob’s ladder, and needle in the haystack activities for kids and axe throwing, etc for adults.
Earlier this year there was a fire at the fairgrounds so it took me a back for a minute seeing these new buildings before it clicked what they were!
In addition to the free shows throughout the grounds, There are some paid experiences. Of the three we’ve done; Pig n’ Swig, Mead and Trivia, and the Pub Crawl, I’d say my least favorite is the Pig n’ Swig because the jokes and acts were exactly the same year to year (so if you go once you’ll probably enjoy it haha), and my favorite has been the Pub Crawl because you’re actively moving throughout the fair and there are three different stops/entertainment events involved.
Pro Tip: buy online for these experiences ahead of time as they usually sell out and quickly.
Other tips to share:
- Pay for your parking ahead of time as the price doubles at the gate. We haven’t tried out the park and ride option yet, but it has definitely helped. It used to take 20 minutes just to walk to the front on top of the miles you’re walking all day and if your car is not made for off roading we have seen some people get stuck.
- The King’s Gate is the main gate and therefore entry is generally quicker, but in my experience, Queen’s Gate does seem to have less traffic getting in.
- Sister-in-law packed wet wipes this year based on a tip she saw and it was genius.
- Pack a zip loc or two in your bag to either store your pub crawl mug without it ruining whatever is in your purse or to store up any food you’re too full to eat! – also bring some sort of backpack/napsack, you never know what you’re going to have to carry!
- We generally buy our tickets at the Minnesota State Fair and save $5/ticket, however I’m told Costco has a deal for 2 tickets AND two turkey legs in-store if you’re a member (which we’re not) so may be worth checking out!
- Last tip – wear comfortable shoes that are ok to get dirty!
Minnesota Renaissance Festival (King’s Gate)
3525 145th St W
Shakopee, MN 55379
GET HOURS & WEEKEND INFO
Hipster Hack 