Scott County approves change to Renaissance Festival parking rules, 4-1

The Scott County Board of Commissioners on July 22, 2025, approved Resolution 2025-180 to amend a conditional use permit for Mid America Festivals Corporation, allowing the Renaissance Festival to increase daily on-site parking passes from 7,000 to 7,700 and permitting the professional parking operator to “backfill” or replenish sold-but-unused on-site parking at any time; the measure passed 4-1.

County planning director Brad Davis told the board the festival’s permit — first issued in 1982 and repeatedly amended — includes 40 conditions and that the amendments being considered today would change condition 32, which governs on-site parking. Davis said Mid America submitted required annual operation plans for 2025 and that the request responds in part to a roughly 10% “no-show” rate among pre-purchased parking passes.

The change matters because the festival is large, draws thousands of vehicles on peak days, and sits between State Highway 41 and U.S. Highway 169 near the Minnesota River. Staff and outside consultants have modeled site capacity at about 8,000 physical parking stalls across the Kings and Queens…