Initial impressions from a Minn. RenFest noob.

[Hercules]

1st time at Minnesota RenFest but not to a RenFest (been to Scarborough, TRF, Sherwood, Norman OK, and Colorado).

First, we LOVED it! Met up with some friends who work the circuit and made some new friends. Parking wasn't the hell I had expected. Vendors were friendly and helpful. Mead...if I could've bought every barrel I would've. I'd say food was above par for festival grub. Shows were about usual. 

Even though vendors were courteous, festival staff could use some training in the area. Although I never dealt with staff personally their rudeness with others was plain to see.

Gates opening at 9am being a guideline rather then the rule is bull. Every other faire we've been to takes enormous pride in having the cannon go off promptly at opening time and those gates flying open before the first cannon-inspired car alarm goes off.

Find a way to tag someone after showing ID at a pub. Just makes the line go quicker later when ID's don't have to be continuously presented and checked.

Minor suggestions for an otherwise outstanding ren-experience. 

[Ms Trish]

Glad you had a good time! I've only been to our faire for a few years (and usually on the inside of the gate when cannon does fire), but I don't know that I've ever noticed it be on time!

By staff, did you mean our court? Or the mundanely dressed ones who work for corporate?

As for ID, one way around it is to make nice with the same beer purveyor. If they remember you, they tend not to ask for ID a 3rd or 4th time. I understand that a marking or bracelet could make the line move more quickly, but who wants to wear a neon wristband all day??

If you see me wander by, be sure to say hi!

[Sitara]

Speaking from a pub perspective, bracelets/stamps would be nice and all but the problem is that they tend to be easily transferable. Also, it may speed things up later in the day, but REALLY slows things down in early in the day when we have far less staff.

Sorry I missed you...had I stopped and spoke with Jim at the end of the day, as I was supposed to, we would have met.

[MissBubu]

Glad to hear you had a good time! If you have any comments or concerns regarding our festival, you can always send a letter (they prefer snail mail) to the corporate office.

Mid-America Festivals
1244 Canterbury Road S
Shakopee, MN 55379

Please be sure to be specific in either praise or rebuke. We have many different "divisions" among our faire, and non-specific critiques tend to get spread out to all of us. Every division has its own management and rules of behavior can vary.

[mehan]

Hey- I still talk about the time we went to TNRF - there weren't long lines they weren't busy and we were all very "recognizable" in garb and they had to card us each and every time, there were ABC (or the TN equivalent) folks at every bar.  At one point I showed my ID to the bartender who really didn't bother to look at it and the ABC woman yelled at him and told him he had to look at it an verify the birthdate as well as the expiration date EVERY TIME.  

[Hercules]

By staff, did you mean our court? Or the mundanely dressed ones who work for corporate?

The mundanely dressed staff.

[William_MacKean]

Staff is often a problem.  But you get what you pay for and MN is known to pay poorly.  And MRF does not hire educated or experienced individuals in the upper areas of management, preferring primarily girls just out of high school for important positions.  Why?  I do not know.  But the demographics are staggering.  (NOTE:  Not a commentary on men vs women.  Just an observation.)  I can say that most of MRF's staff are awesome and the rest do the best they can with the tools allowed them.  Our Safety Services crew, IMO, is second to none!

Cannot use wristbands or stamps in MN unless it is in a secured alcohol area, which would require being re-checked upon entry, tagged or otherwise.  That is our law, not MRF policy.

[Kiss-me-Kate]

Actually most of our staff are pretty nice, once you get passed the reserved, stoic nature of us  Minnesotans. 
We hope you return, we welcome returning guests!

[NugBlazer]

As for ID, one way around it is to make nice with the same beer purveyor. If they remember you, they tend not to ask for ID a 3rd or 4th time. I understand that a marking or bracelet could make the line move more quickly, but who wants to wear a neon wristband all day??

Ding! Ding!  Give the lady a cigar!

Seriously, though, this advice is spot on.  At my pub, once we remember you, we don't card you again the rest of the day.  Good tippers get more easily remembered, of course.

Bracelets?  Meh.

[Merlin the Elder]

I'm curious...do you card old people too?

[Hercules]

I'm curious...do you card old people too?

Well they carded me so yeah! 

Admit that carding the ladies I was with made them giggle with delight "Hey look I'm getting carded"!

[MissBubu]

By staff, did you mean our court? Or the mundanely dressed ones who work for corporate?

The mundanely dressed staff.

Some of the mundanely dressed staff are unpaid summer interns. They usually have a deer-in-the-headlights look. The other mundanely dressed staff are either overworked/unpaid or people who genuinely enjoy making others miserable (or so it seems to me usually).

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

I'm curious...do you card old people too?

They carded me 

[Sitara]

We were told to card anyone who looked under 40, some of the pubs card everyone though. The beer/wine tastings card everyone regardless of appearance.

[Gauwyn of Bracknell]

We were told to card anyone who looked under 40, some of the pubs card everyone though. The beer/wine tastings card everyone regardless of appearance.

Thanks ( for making me thing I look under 40 ).