Renaissance Festival Fun

This year, instead of having a birthday party for Blockette, we decided to take her to the MN RenFest. Even though there is a Ren Faire much closer to us in WI, Mrblocko and I are partial to the one in MN.

Mrblocko and I have pretty much taken a break from the Ren faires since Blockette was born.  There was always one reason or another why we couldn't go.  So we just made some time and figured out a way to go.  As luck would have it, an extremely shirt tail relative was able to get us free tickets. Score!

Blockette wasn't too sure about the whole thing at first.  She wondered why everyone was so "fancy."  Then I think that it hit her it was one big game of pretend and dress up.   Then she was upset we didn't all go completely in costume.  Maybe next time.

As it was, she was pretty fairy-ied up with her wings, wand and new crown-tiara-head dress thingie.

I really wished I'd taken more pictures.  Particularly of the faun.  She had hooves and everything.  She gave Blockette the bell for her wand from a secret fairy stash.  I think I was too in awe of the cuteness to remember I had a camera dangling from my wrist.

Here are a few pictures I DID remember to take of Blockette's favorite parts of the Festival.

First: The Secret Fairy Garden.

Blockette liked it so much we went through twice.  

Truth be told, this is one of my favorite places at the festival too.

You really have to know that this garden is there.  The entrance is in this weird spot where it doesn't look like much.  Then you go around this hedge and you come to a hobbit house.  This year they had a little person pretending to be a hobbit.  Blockette thought that was awesome too.  She had a grand old time chatting that young lady up. 

After the hobbit house you wander through this wooded path.  This in itself is awesome as it is the only truly shaded place in all of the festival grounds. 

The path takes you past several small fairy cottages.  It's sort of sad that they have to be roped off.  It would have been cool to take some closer pictures.  Why do people have to be dorks and ruin things for everyone? 

Anyhow.  The enchanted forest was right up our alley.  If you ever go to the MN Ren Fest, you've got to check it out.

Blockette's second most favorite thing at the fair was: The Mermaids.

This was a new feature at the Fair this year.  I opted to sit under a tree while Mrblocko stood in line with Blockette for 20 minutes. 

Blockette said it was totally worth the wait in the sun to see the mermaids.  She informed me that some of them were the tricky mean kind like the ones on "The Pirates of Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."  Although, apparently the mermaid in the tank was one that wanted to be caught to see people.  I guess she was from the Ariel/Little Mermaid school of thought.  

I did ask Blockette if they were REAL mermaids and she gave me a weird look and said, "Oh of course they were."  (Cause why would they advertise they had mermaids if they weren't real?)

All in all Blockette had a smashing time.  She can't wait to go back!