Missouri

Take a Step back in time to the 16th Century Renaissance Fest

The Michigan Renaissance Festival is back in operation this year after a year off for surviving the pandemic. Celebrating 42 years of “Huzzah and Cheers,” it is still one of the largest and best-attended festivals in the realm. Festival organizers expected to attract more than 275,000 visitors as in years before.

The Great Michigan Renaissance tradition features 18 stages of exciting entertainment, full-contact live-armored jousting, 250 artisans for endless shopping, and seven different themed weekends. Admission to this event features at least 50 family-friendly activities and the food there is sure to be fit for any king or queen. Some of types of food you’ll find there blends well with the themes. For instance, the weekend of Sept. 11-12, is “Wonders of the World. The menu lists Coppino soup from Spain, a Portuguese orange and walnut salad, an African main entree of Marquez spiced Osso Bocco with sweet potato and squash, and topping it all off with dessert from France - Napoleon eclairs. It is worth going for nothing more than the great food!

There are several contests guests can enter for Viking Invasion weekend Sept. 4-6. Do you have the greatest BEARD in the realm? Show it off for your chance to win some great prizes. No entry required. Just show up to Wyldewood Stage @ 3 p.m. to enter. If you have an unusual tattoo, there are great prizes to be wone by heading to Igor’s Roast Stage at 1 p.m. On Sept. 18-19, transport to Ireland by visiting the village where you will find local Irish vendors & fun for all ages. Kick up your heels with traditional Irish music & dance. Got a Kilt? Enter the Men in Kilts contest to discover who can wear it best. This is the largest shenanigans party in Michigan!

The 2021 Michigan Renaissance Festival runs weekends through October 3rd, plus Labor Day, September 6th & Festival Friday, October 1st, 2021. Tickets are $24.95 at the gate for adults and $15.95 for kids. Discounts are offered online if purchased in advance at https://www.michrenfest. com/tickets/

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Children’s Museum Turns 40

https://mcm.org/

From the irresistible pretend town in Our World to the delightful toddler play spaces in Sprouts, our experiences spark joy and foster growth through the awesome power of play.

Minnesota Children’s Museum sparks children’s learning through play. The museum, a nonprofit organization, serves more than 550,000 visitors each year at locations in St. Paul and Rochester.

Our museums are kid-powered play spaces where families have fun together and kids take the lead. Through interactive exhibits and programs, the museum provides open-ended, self-directed experiences that give kids (and adults!) the space and freedom to explore their interests, solve problems and build life skills like confidence, critical and creative thinking, communication and more.

The museum in St. Paul features 10 permanent exhibits including a four-story climber with spiral slide, laser maze, car wash, ball launchers, maker space, pretend town, and a gallery for toddlers and pre-schoolers. There’s also a traveling exhibits gallery that features a new exhibit every few months. Minnesota Children’s Museum is a leading producer of hands-on rental exhibits for children’s museums and discovery centers.

The original Children’s Museum opened on Dec. 12, 1981 in a renovated warehouse on 1st Street North. The innovative space for hands-on playful learning quickly became a popular spot for local children and their families. After quickly outgrowing its first home, the museum renovated an old blacksmith shop in Bandana Square in St. Paul and opened its bigger space on Feb. 17, 1986. 1995: Move to Downtown St. Paul

A new era began Sept. 16, 1995 when Minnesota Children’s Museum opened a newly constructed building on West Seventh Street to house new exhibits, including a pioneering gallery designed for toddlers.

In 2005, new gallery improvements, traveling exhibits, an expanded Rooftop ArtPark, and the creation of an endowment fund helped to further the museum’s mission to bring playful learning to children 2012-2020: Museum in Rochester

Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester opened in 2012 and grew to serve more than 30,000 visitors each year. The museum closed in February 2020 ahead of a planned move to a larger space in Apache Mall. A new play space called Spark plans to open in summer 2020. Spark is a separate organization from Minnesota Children’s Museum.

The museum went through a major expansion and renovation and re-opened as an all-new museum in June 2017. The new museum features 10 new exhibits, more space, better amenities and a bolder design focused on open-ended, child-directed play.

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People to See:

Forged in Fire Champion at Renfest

Photos by Samantha Bradley, Places to Go Team

BONNER SPRINGS— Chris Farrell, a season one winner of History Channel’s Forged in Fire, will join the celebration at the 2021 Kansas City Renaissance Festival.

Farrell is the owner of Fearghal Blades, a custom bladesmithing business based in Austin, Texas. He competed in the 2015 premiere season of Forged in Fire, which challenges bladesmiths to create functional weapons under time and material constraints. He defeated three competitors with his production of a traditional Indian throwing weapon called a Chakram.

Farrell started Fearghal Blades in 2011. He produces custom, handmade items and offers demonstrations of his craft around the country. The Kansas City Renaissance Festival is pleased to have him showcase his talents for our 2021 season.

Chris Farrell can be contacted through www.fearghalblades. wixsite.com/chrisfarrell

Live the Legend!

King Henry VIII and his royal court invite one and all to his 16th Century European village, featuring something for the whole family. Pay heed to the exploits of jousting knights on thundering steeds, roam the village shops for unique crafts, delight in entertainment on one of our 25 stages, and feast on delicious food and drinks from the far reaches of the globe! Dates: Weekends Sept. 4th to October 17th, Labor Day (Sept. 6th) Monday, October 11th. 20 Stages of Live Entertainment

Daily Armored Jousting 7 Themed Weekends 200 Artisan Booths Food, Drinks, & More! For more on Missouri >CLICK HERE