This review is in regard to 101 Market's Fall Festival only, not the rest of the business.
We took a flyer on a Groupon to 101 Market's Fall Festival and walked away with a terrible taste in our mouths. We've been going to Sever's Fall Festival in Shakopee for years, but wanted to see what other local gems we might find. Rest assured, we'll be going back to Sever's next fall without batting an eyelash. Here's an analogy: Sever's is ValleyFair as 101 Market is to Chuck-e-Cheese... for almost the same price!
Our first surprise was the size of this particular fall festival. The kids objected from the backseat, but not as loudly as my wife: "THAT'S IT?!" Yes, they have many of the popular fall festival "attractions" listed on paper, but they're so small it's almost pathetic. The corn pit made us laugh out loud when seeing it -- it's about the size of a small hotel swimming pool in area -- and since that's the marquee attraction, it's all downhill from there. It's crazy crowded with kids throwing corn everywhere. (I had to "coach" a few kids to quit hitting other kids with corn kernels as their parents were obviously not paying attention.) The petting zoo consisted of one llama, about 4 goats, a cow, and a bunch of bunnies in cages you weren't allowed to touch. The animals were so stuffed silly they wouldn't eat the feed for which we paid an extra buck. (Didn't stop the staff from taking our money with a grin.)
They did have two neat features that we did enjoy: an indoor pedal cart track and a potato sling shot. They were enjoyed for a total of about 12 minutes.
Though the staff was overall helpful and courteous (not to throw their few hard workers all under the bus), there was one part that truly grinded my gears. At the check-in desk, when I showed the lady my Groupon on my phone, she grabbed my phone and started punching buttons. (Why in the world I allowed that, I'll never know.) Turns out she not only took the "initiative" to mark my Groupon as "redeemed", she also took the liberty of quickly doing the Groupon experience survey, rating 101 Market as "5-Stars".
That, ladies and gentlemen, is fraud.
Standing there mouth agape, I was unsure of what to do. Unfortunately, my Minnesota Nice kicked in because there was a line behind me, and I didn't demand to speak with a manager right then and there. Fool me once... Shame on me. If you see that 101 Market is a great fall festival experience, you can rest assured it was probably an employee rating it.
Another shameful thing is their pricing for the experience. It's obscene. We felt almost cheated with our GROUPON, which averaged out to about $5/person. The normal pricing is scandalous at $14! Flat-out robbery, people! Seriously, for one more dollar, hop on Highway 169 South, drive about 40 minutes to Sever's, and you'll have a truly delightful time. Stay away from this trap. read more