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MN Renaissance Festival begins | kare11.com
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is in its 53rd season, running on weekends through September 29th.
SHAKOPEE, Minn — Fables and fairies might get you through the gates, but it’s the feeling of family inside that defines the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.
On opening weekend, characters of all kinds made their way onto the fairgrounds in Shakopee.
“Everybody’s here to have fun,” said Terri Monzat, who drove from South Dakota with her family to attend the fair for the first time. “It’s good for grandchildren to realize you can be an individual and that’s okay.”
While first-timers found their footing, faithful fans reunited with their festival family.
“You come back every year to the people you know,” said Deborah Mesker, who runs ‘Hearts Delight’ bodice shop.
After more than 30 years on the Renaissance fair circuit, her retail space is more like a reunion.
“I have customers that I remember from 30 years ago,” Mesker said.
Mesker’s employees have the same staying power. The opening weekend holds special meaning for Candice Peters, a saleswoman. That was when she met Mesker as a 17-year-old.
“I wanted to purchase a corset, but I could not afford it,” Peters said. “And so they were like ‘You can come and work with us.’”
13 years later, she keeps coming back.
“I kind of just stayed,” Peters said. “It’s more like family than it is a job anymore.”
Mesker said it was the culture of acceptance that brought her into Renaissance festivals when she needed it most.
“Well, I got started because I got clean and sober,” Mesker said. ”I had been using drugs and the judge told me I had to do something to support my children legally.”
Minnesota’s festival is just one of many places where Mesker maintains her welcoming atmosphere.
“We do hire people in recovery,” Mesker said of her California-based shop. “We do hire people at our studio who come out of prison, who need a job and a fresh start.”
“She’s kind of like a grandma that I don’t have,” Peters said. “An extension of family. Everybody is welcome.”
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is in its 53rd season, running on weekends through September 29th. For more information, visit renaissancefest.com
The city is asking people to avoid the area around the park as first responders manage the scene.
SHAKOPEE, Minn — Two people were hospitalized after the plane they were in crashed in Shakopee.
The Shakopee Police and Fire Departments are responding to the scene at Scenic Heights Park, according to the city’s Facebook page.
The city is asking people to avoid the area around the park as first responders manage the scene.
There are no other reported injuries at this time, according to the post, which added that federal investigators will be joining shortly.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Law enforcement agencies issued more than 68,000 tickets for speed violations over the summer.
MINNESOTA, USA — Traffic fatalities in Minnesota have risen this year despite a decrease in driving deaths nationwide.
According to the Department of Public Safety, Minnesota roads have seen 322 deaths so far this year, an 11% increase from the 286 deaths on MN roads in 2023.
“Speed and DWI are two of the leading causes of fatalities on our roads,” said a statement from the DPS.
Preliminary information from the agency suggests speed contributed to a staggering 94 deaths on Minnesota roads in 2024, an increase from 81 deaths over the same period last year.
Alcohol-related traffic deaths have stayed relatively level as the DPS believes it contributed to 80 deaths so far this year, compared to 82 deaths over the same time in 2023.
A total of 259 law enforcement agencies cited a combined 68,723 drivers for speed-related violations, according to the DPS.
“In a world where speeding has become all too common, it’s easy to forget that it steals lives,” said DPS Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson, in a statement.
Recent estimations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that 18,720 people died in traffic crashes in the first half of 2024. That figure is a decrease of roughly 3.2% from the 19,330 traffic deaths projected to have occurred in the first half of 2023.
The newest route is Delta’s latest in a series of increased flights departing from major hubs like MSP, New York-JFK and Detroit.
MINNEAPOLIS — Arrivederci, Minneapolis! Ciao, Roma!
Delta Air Lines announced it will begin offering nonstop service from MSP to Rome next spring as part of its 2025 trans-Atlantic schedule, the largest-ever, according to Delta.
An airline spokesperson said the flights will occur four times a week starting in May. The newest route is Delta’s latest in a series of increased flights departing from major hubs like MSP, New York-JFK and Detroit. The airline said the plan is to boost its services to Italy by over 10% year-over-year.
Delta said it also plans to bring fast, free Wi-Fi to international flights and offer vacation packages for “curated experiences across Europe.”
For more information about Delta’s 2025 trans-Atlantic flight plans, visit its website.
