2026 Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona

Last weekend I went on my favorite Minnesota theater vacay - Great River Shakespeare Festival in lovely riverside Winona! But my 8th visit to Minnesota's only Shakespeare festival is even more exciting this year. It's the first time I've attended opening weekend, and it's not just any opening weekend, it's the opening of their new space in the historic Masonic Temple, known as The ARC. After a couple of decades of performing in Winona State University's theater, they now have their own space with everything and everyone under one roof - office space, design and costume shop, rehearsal space, and the theater itself. My fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (Minnesota Theater Love and The Stages of Minnesota) and I were thrilled to celebrate this milestone with them, and of course enjoy some great Shakespeare that is, as always at GRSF, clear, accessible, playful, inventive, and engaging. The festival continues through July 27, with performances Wednesdays through Sundays, typically with…