Renaissance Festival War Stories August 16/17, 2025

It is the beginning of another season of The Minnesota Renaissance Festival. This year marks my 10th season as a participant and our third season as The Sidequest Players. Let's do this! Here are some of opening weekend's favorite selected patron moments.

THEY tell you

While offering sidequests to a family with some small children, one of the little boys ad a wrapped dragon around his wrist. He offered, "You can pet them." This was a three-headed dragon.

I pet each head and asked, "Do they all feel it? Or do any of them not like getting rubs?"

"They all do," he replied.

"What are their names?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"Oh, they haven't told you yet. Dragons tell you their names."

He turned his hand towards himself to look at them and then back towards myself and Peter and said proudly, "Water-Squirter!"

I guess that was the moment the dragons told him they were a collective known as such.

There's no such thing as bad at riddles...

A group of adults, maybe 5-8 of them, probably all in their 20s were riddling with us. With this group, we were doing beginner-to-intermediate riddles. Not everyone is going to be an expert, sometimes more clues are needed, not everyone is a master of solving everything: and that's okay - no one is.

After nearly the entire group, save one gentleman, nearly each solved a riddle, he was a little frustrated he hadn't solved one. We led him with one and his friend helped with clues and he got the answer. After he solve it he got up and began to walk away with the playful-frustration that it took him a long time and was dumb for needing so much help.

To me, that is not okay. I called him back over and offered him my hand. I offered him some words of comfort: You are not dumb or slow or bad at riddles. We don't know what riddles you are going to be bad or good at, that's why we ask you a variety to figure it out. You only heard a few. And maybe riddles aren't your thing. Maybe you're your party's fighter or rogue or bard. Not solving a bunch of riddles or solving one riddle with clues does not make you less. If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree than we are all stupid.

He left with a smile on his face as he and his group went off on sidequests.

He's bad for you.

I have a usual bit about a man flirting with me by leaving me apples, carrots, and a salt lick (a hunter using deer-bait). Usually most people tell me to go for it or laugh it off or I tell them the man "breaks up with me with the shooty things." On Sunday, I pulled out a carrot from my pocket and the bit starts pretty organically from there with a trio of patrons. One man in his early 20s told me, "He's bad for you. Hes going to abduct you. You should stay away from him. Next time you see him, wave good bye and go the other way" He was so sincere and kind and genuine did not want me to get hurt by the hunter who was baiting me. Of the dozens of times I've done that bit, no one has ever been that sweet to think of my future, autonomy, and feelings like that. I was truly touched. ✅️✅️✅️Green Flags for this man!

Shout out to Papa Worthit.

Towards the end of the day Sunday, I was headed towards the gate to say goodnight to the patrons and I stopped a couple. They looked like they had enjoyed the day: some new costume pieces, shopping bags, beer in hand, etc. We speak for a few moments and I notice that one of them has an accent, I figured it was German, but I didn't want to assume, so I went vague and suggested Central Europe/Alps. They said I was close, they were from Northern Germany, closest major city was Hanover. I shared how my family origins on my father's side came from there near the Dutch boarder, but never had visited the Fatherland. They asked, In German, If I spoke any. I answered back with the handful of phrases I knew, "Do you speak German? Good night, sleep well, until the morning, I love you..." What surprised them both was, for never spending time there or studying the language, how good my pronunciation was. I told them Papa Worthit taught us well.

There are Champions, then there's Ella.

This is the beginning of our third season at The Sidequest Players at The Minnesota Renaissance Festival, and we have had people power-play through riddles, our table top games, and our sidequests. Then there's The Lady Ella. She powered through a record 30 sidequests in a day with us. Huzzah to Lady Ella!

We will see you in weekend 2!