Ren Fest
Joe and I were invited to go to the Ren Fest with Kia & Zach yesterday. Kia really wanted to go yesterday because she has been taking belly dancing classes all summer and they had classes and a competition yesterday. She thought I might have fun joining her.
Unfortunately, the weather didn't help us out. It was raining when we got there around 1:45 and didn't stop. We were mostly prepared for some rain, just not constant rain. We got ponchos pretty quickly. After watching some of the belly dancing peformances, we got some food and then got the announcement - Ren Fest is closing! Yeah, they closed around 4pm. I've never heard of a time when they have actually closed Ren Fest. I guess they were concerned with the flooding.
But that wasn't the cool part. On the way out the gate, next to the bakery stage, a new little tent - a little chinese man with really cool instruments. After hearing one of his and trying it myself - I got one! It's called a Hulusu - "This instrument is used by Dai Minority in China. It is a three prong flute with drone." Mostly a recorder that has 3 prongs and a gord at the top that you blow into - there is a reed in the main flute part. It takes a lot of air to play, but has the same fingering as a recorder, so I can play it with my students. His name is Ying Zhang and lives right over by Texa-Tonka area and plays with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. I say it's a pretty cool find!
Last cool thing - Ren Fest gave out comp ticket info so that we can go back another day! So, we are now planning to go another day when it won't be raining!
Unfortunately, the weather didn't help us out. It was raining when we got there around 1:45 and didn't stop. We were mostly prepared for some rain, just not constant rain. We got ponchos pretty quickly. After watching some of the belly dancing peformances, we got some food and then got the announcement - Ren Fest is closing! Yeah, they closed around 4pm. I've never heard of a time when they have actually closed Ren Fest. I guess they were concerned with the flooding.
But that wasn't the cool part. On the way out the gate, next to the bakery stage, a new little tent - a little chinese man with really cool instruments. After hearing one of his and trying it myself - I got one! It's called a Hulusu - "This instrument is used by Dai Minority in China. It is a three prong flute with drone." Mostly a recorder that has 3 prongs and a gord at the top that you blow into - there is a reed in the main flute part. It takes a lot of air to play, but has the same fingering as a recorder, so I can play it with my students. His name is Ying Zhang and lives right over by Texa-Tonka area and plays with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. I say it's a pretty cool find!
Last cool thing - Ren Fest gave out comp ticket info so that we can go back another day! So, we are now planning to go another day when it won't be raining!