Sand mining won't displace Renaissance Fest for years

[groomporter]

Article in the StarTrib
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/165876746.html?refer=y

[Stolenhalo6]

This article would make me feel better if I hadn't just been out at the sight yesterday and seen what a mess it was - inside and outside the gates.  From as close as I could get, it looked like a lot of the parking lot (maybe 20%) and the entire B-gate area was gone.  Parking was a nightmare last year starting about week four.  This will make it even worse this year.  I overheard a lot of patrons who had to park in the employee lot and get bused up state that they would never come back.  It all could have been empty threats in the heat of the moment, but it's still concerning.  A business like this can't run off the money that just the hardcore playtrons bring in.

[William_MacKean]

The question is:  Will allowing frack sand mining slow the push into the parking field, or will that remain on schedule in addition to the frack sand areas?  If it is mining away from site and slowing the interference with parking, then I don't see a huge problem with it.  If it is a double-whap...  No thanks.

[groomporter]

It has to get approved first and there's already people trying to prevent it. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/08/03/environment/minnesota-frac-sand-mine-draws-complaints/

[William_MacKean]

I bet their position on the mining is directly related to their position on fracking.  Sadly, they think that limiting the supply of frack sand will slow fracking.  It won't.  It will only make it more expensive, give more $$ to the mines that produce it (in red states), and make our fuels more expensive.

[escherblacksmith]

1. actually, no.  the problem is silica dust (and subsequent silicosis), the air pollution problem directly related to mining and transporting fracking sand.
2. Nope, overall oil prices won't be impacted by oil shale mining for quite awhile yet, and gas prices even less since the bottleneck is currently (and for some time to come) is at the refinery level.

Not even going to get into the mining thing.

Regardless, and getting back on topic, it probably doesn't matter.  Eventually something (sand/aggregate/unobtanium) will make the fair move.  My question is, what is the over/under on what it when Festies would get direct notification. 

I say 3 months prior to move, but I'm an optimist.

[William_MacKean]

As with the old Virginia Faire, the crafters/vendors got a notice AFTER the festival management cleaned the place of all valuables and equipment.  Vendors/Crafters were given a 30 day eviction notice, then management cleaned out the rest.  That is how MN will end.  And it will be after a season, say late October when the letters go out.  And nowhere near the end of the stated lease term.  That would be foolish to let the participants know it was the last year.  They would lose all control.

[groomporter]

As long as it's before February when our final booth fees are usually due for the next season...