Front Gate/Parking?

[Butch]

If the "main" parking lot is all chewed up with mining and construction, I would think that the Shakopee site manager would be looking at making one/both of the other lots to be the new "main" lot.  And then plan the traffic in and out.  And then make the entrance nearest the new "main" lot to be the new main entrance (or even create a new gate there).  It would seem to be a task that could be done now, with 2 months before opening.  Further, I would think that the owner would be standing on the site manager's desk screaming to get it done, since NOT doing it will cost many $ in revenue.
Am I missing something?

[Lady L]

Well, if they go about it as they usually do, they won't start thinking about parking until the 2nd weekend after the festival opens.  No exaggeration...I have seen that happen several years. One year, the new gate was "supposed" to open opening day, then the 5th weekend, but it didn't open at all that year. They always wait until the last minute and then they create chaos. That's when people get upset/angry, because no one knows what to do/where to go.

Several years ago, management told me to use B gate, but when I went to my shop to work on it, B gate was sitting out in the general parking area. I asked them how that was going to work, as there was no access to the site from B gate anymore. They told me B gate wasn't going to be there by opening day. Well, guess what... B gate building sat in the parking lot the entire run of the show. I said I was always told to us A gate, because it was closest to my shop. They said no, use B gate. (B gate is for buses, entertainers and day workers.) So, R would drop me off at the front gate and I would walk in the main gate, while he would go park. Not wasting time in a long line of people on foot, when we had the van to drive through. Then, we had to hand cart our stuff in the hard way. 

2012, He would drop me off at the shop's door and go park, because I couldn't walk that far that year. That was after driving around the pit and up out of the pit, with people on foot walking right next to the van. I am surprised no one was injured. It was a nightmare and I am glad to be done with it.

Also, the Queen's gate had only 2 doors, whereas the main gate had...6 doors. don't know if that will be changing. If not, that's going to be a longer line to wait in. But, who knows, certainly not me.

[Butch]

They should hire a civil engineer for this project, instead of putting it off and relying on "crisis management".

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

It appears that things are going to be all messed up this season. What this will do tl attendence will be anyone's guess. Shuttles perhaps?

[Lady L]

I have heard rumors about shuttles in the past, for the public. But, if those run like the shuttles for participants...not so good. People do not want to wait 3 hours for shuttle. What they used were old school buses. I think they had 2, not sure.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I have heard rumors about shuttles in the past, for the public. But, if those run like the shuttles for participants...not so good. People do not want to wait 3 hours for shuttle. What they used were old school buses. I think they had 2, not sure.

Back in 2003 when the Earl and I attended the New York Renaissance Festival, there were several school buses running every 10 minutes to shuttle people from the Parking Lots to the front gate. One half mile from the gate could be hardship for people with Disabilities or small children in strollers to walk.

The Festiival management needs to be working on this issue NOW or lose a lot of money in gate fees.

[groomporter]

I have heard rumors about shuttles in the past, for the public. But, if those run like the shuttles for participants...not so good. People do not want to wait 3 hours for shuttle. What they used were old school buses. I think they had 2, not sure.

They had two full size school buses and then a smaller bus, but except for the first weekend the participants' shuttles work fairly well last year in my experience. It was probably worst on Sunday nights waiting in line to get on the bus out to our cars. But they would certainly need more if they are going to shuttle patrons as well as participants -especially late the run.

[Prof. John Bull]

Upthread, someone claimed that attendance is dropping.  In actual fact, attendance remains strong.  Whatever problems the festival may have are not keeping the public away.

Last year they used several approaches to managing automotive traffic.  On busy days towards the end of the run they were bringing most of the highway 41 traffic in through the Highway 41 entrance and directing them to the Queen's lot, and bringing 169 traffic in through the usual main entrance off 169.  The road traditionally used as a patron exit at the end of the day connects the two lots.

[groomporter]

And heck, the rumors of MNRF moving or closing may help attract people for what they think might be the "last huzzah" in spite of the parking confusion.

[Rowan MacD]

And heck, the rumors of MNRF moving or closing may help attract people for what they think might be the "last huzzah" in spite of the parking confusion.

I don't think the MNRF will close; but I do think it will be moving. 
  From the satellite view 2014-The Quarry is eating everything in it's path, and looks to keep on until it surrounds the fair grounds on 3 sides and parking has to move across the highway, or somewhere.     

  It's the management's call to make sure the patrons are informed or not. 
  Don't tell them anything, things get worse, and some patrons decide it's not worth the hassle.  These folks will probably not give the faire another chance, even in a new, more spacious location.  Tell the patrons of an impending move, and lose a small portion of the gate in the short term, when some decide to take a hiatus for a couple of seasons until conditions improve.  You may see a drop off in season passes, due to the access issues.
   The faire will always have a hardcore fan base.   My hubby has been there, (though I have not) but I have spoken to many people who consider it to be one of the top 10 fairs in the country, and in the Midwest, the nearest one of any size is in KC. 
  It is on my very short list to visit-but not if the parking is as bad as you say. 

[Lady L]

http://www.co.scott.mn.us/ParksLibraryEnv/Environment/EnvReview/MerrJuncEIS/Documents/Final%20Merriam%20Junction%20Scoping%20EAW%206-3-14.pdf

Interesting. Here's an excerpt.

Signed and dated June 3, 2014

Merriam Junction Sands, LLC proposal to mine approximately 682 acres of land for
nonmetallic mineral mining and processing operations in Louisville Township, Scott County
Minnesota.

Other portions of the Malkerson Sales property include the original farmstead,
and outbuildings, horse stables and race track. There is one main potable well
associated with these buildings. The Renaissance Festival, an annual festival
held in late summer and in the fall of each year operated by Mid-America
Festivals, Inc. is located on a portion of the Malkerson Sales property. The
festival area includes booths, festival grounds, and parking areas for the event.
The active limestone mine face is currently located on the northern end of the
Renaissance Festival parking area and quarrying activity is moving in a southerly
direction. Parking has been recently relocated to the quarry floor as mining
continued to the south through the previous parking area. There are two water
supply wells associated with the Renaissance Festival grounds. The
Renaissance Festival operates under a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) issued to
Mid-America Festivals, Inc. by Scott County in 1988, which includes the
Halloween themed Trail of Terror operated in and around buildings near the
stable area, and other seasonal events.

The compatibility of the continued coexistence of the proposed mining and the
Renaissance Festival will be a topic of analysis in the EIS with consideration of
traffic, public safety, impacts on the Renaissance Festival wells, ambient air
quality, noise and other factors. The time period for impact consideration will not
be limited to the period when the Festival is open to the public since there is an
ongoing presence at the facility for security, maintenance, upkeep, restoration
and some extended residential use related to the Festival.

The Project will require the removal of all of the structures and equipment
associated with the Rennaissance Festival and some of the buildings on the
Malkerson Sales property. All demolition debris and solid waste will be removed
from the site and properly disposed of or recycled at licensed waste processing
facilities. No waste or buildings will be burned or buried on the property. There
are a number of above and partially below ground waste water tanks and
propane tanks on the Rennaisance property that will be properly managed.


The Mid-America Renaissance Festival which has been an active local attraction
for over 42 years is located on the Malkerson property on the southern part of the
Malkerson portion of the Project. With or without the Project, the Renaissance
Festival will eventually be relocated from the Site due to either continued
limestone mining on the Malkerson Sales Property, or the limestone and
sandstone mining associated with the Project. This is the second largest
Renaissance Festival in the United States with an annual attendance of 300,000.
To accommodate the proposed mining the Renaissance Festival will be
dislocated, in either case, the buildings will be properly disposed of, wells sealed
and all solid waste and debris associated with this facility will be properly
removed and managed. The Mid-America Corporation owns land adjacent to the
current leased location that might be considered as an alternate location, but
there have been no discussions as to whether this establishement will be
relocated or discontinued and destroyed. The Site and surrounding area is
unique in its abundance and accessibility of marketable mineral resources. Both
construction aggregates and silica sand resources are readily available for
extraction in this area due to the past actions of mining, glaciers and the Glacial
River Warren.

20.1 The EIS will address the management of existing buildings, equipment
and solid waste remaining from the closing of the Rennaisance Festival and from
the prior uses of the Malkerson property and generation of solid or hazardous
wastes and materials related to the proposed project including a plan for the
minimization of waste and containment of contamination. Generation rates will
not be significantly impacted by alternative plant locations, so the discussion will
be limited to the overall Project.

25.5 The current location of the Renaissance Festival and parking facilities are
within the proposed mining area and will eventually be removed under the No
Build Alternative as well as the Project Alternatives. The timing of the removal
under the no build and other Project alternatives will be discussed in the EIS as
well as a general discussion regarding economic impacts to the surrounding
communities resulting from a difference in timing in the closure of the
Renaissance Festival.

[Butch]

Any new updates/insight now that we're about 3 weeks (24 days) out?  I'm pretty excited!  Gonna be there opening day!

[groomporter]

From Facebook

They are planning more opening shows at Queen's gate this year but the royalty will still be at King's gate as usual this year. I'm a member of the entertainment cast and this is what we've been told so far.

From someone on staff:

Parking discussions are always in a state of flux. It is complicated to work out a solution every year and right now the plan is not complete, so we don't know anything further. When it gets decided, we will all get the word out as quickly as we can.

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

Been going to Faire for several years, but not familiar with queens gate. Where do you park to go in there?  Do you still come off the 169 entrance or the performer entrance off 42?

[Lady L]

Queen's Gate is where they bulldozed the Queen's Lot for parking. It would be on the far west side, but how one gets there, I have no idea. They made us park there the year of the fire and we drove around through the pit to get to it. I don't think the public would be doing that. I also heard it was a steep walk from there. Last year, the old lot, aka known as King's Lot, had no road from there over to the Queen's Lot.