I'm planning on taking our family to the the Minnesota Renaissance Festival this year. I haven't been there in about 11 or 12 years and I'm looking forward to it.

For those of you who work there or spend a lot of time there, which weekend(s) would you recommend?

A Silk Road: Discover the Riches!
August 22nd & 23rd
Belly Dance Competition & Lessons
Natl. Bird Show | Middle Eastern Music
Martial Arts Demonstrations | Arabian Horse Show

Highland Fling
August 29th & 30th
World Amateur Highland Heavy Games Championship
Minnesota Highland Games | Scottish Village

Royal Ale Festival
September 5th, 6th & 7th
National Homebrew Competition | Microbrew Competition
FREE Beer Tastings | Longbow Competition
Biker Weekend | Sign Language Saturday

Irish Heritage Celebration
September 12th & 13th
3rd Annual Pet Fest | Irish Village
Irish Cooking Demonstrations | Irish Dancers

Wine, Chocolate & Romance
September 19th & 20th
Chocolate & Wine Festival | Charity Wine Auction
FREE Vow Renewals | Homemade Wine Competition
Chocolate Pie Eating Contest | Red Hat Ladies Weekend
Men-in-Tights & Best Bloomers Competition

Royal Rumble: A Health & Wellness Celebration!
September 26th & 27th
5K/10K Run, Walk | Boy & Girl Scout Weekend
Healthy Living & Fitness Festival | Go GREEN Demos

Bon Voyage: A Mediterranean Venture!
October 3rd & 4th
Italian, French, Spanish & Greek Vendors
Bocce Ball Tournament | Spaghetti Eating Contest
Festival Closing Ceremonies

I have no opinions on which weekend you would be best to attend, but I'd like to point out that if you should somehow convince the RenFaire to drop their no-weapons policy, flint-lock pistols are out-of-period. During the period in question, gentlemen would have carried a snaphaunce or a dog-lock:

All of the above.

A Renny-fan . .. . Highland Fling is one of my favorites, but they are all good. Irish Heritage always feels like it is a little heavy with Scots influence (for an Irishman's tastes) and with the Irishfest on Harriet Island, that seems to strum most of our cultural heart strings without the limit of time period. Which isn't to say I don't really enjoy the Irish Weekend at the Renny Fair, I just don't really expect it to be terribly Irish.

All the fun of drinking warm beer in the hot sun, while wearing uncomforable clothes.

don't forget the period appropriate bustling bust lines on display ... they occasionally brighten an otherwise dreary day

As one who has been to every Renaissance Festival since about 1981 -- no kidding -- and written about it tons of times for the paper, i'd say just pick a good-weather day and go. The opening day has lots to recommend it: Neither the participants nor the grass have been much trodden upon yet. Both are still fresh.

That said, the event is not what it used to be. The former management had very high standards for everything from shop design to acts. The present owner treats it like a shoe factory, not like a theatrical/historical event. If he could outsource the whole thing to China, he would.