Clayshire Castle Medieval Faire 2026

Clayshire Castle Medieval Faire 2026 will take place September 26–27 on the grounds of Clayshire Castle near Bowling Green, Indiana. Centered on late-15th-century England and the Wars of the Roses, the weekend features jousting, armored combat, falconry, puppetry, music, dance, artisan crafts, family activities and self-guided tours of the castle itself.

Visitors planning a broader trip through the region can find additional historical events in Renaissance and Medieval Festivals in Indiana.

⚔️ The Wars of the Roses at Clayshire Castle

The Medieval Faire is built around the conflict that divided England’s royal houses during the Wars of the Roses in the second half of the 15th century. The castle grounds provide a particularly fitting backdrop for an event focused on knights, rival factions and medieval court culture.

The 2026 entertainment program includes:

Jousting
Full-armored combat
Falconry
Puppetry
Live music
Dance performances
Family activities
Historical and medieval-themed entertainment
Artisan demonstrations and shopping
Self-guided castle tours

The combination of mounted entertainment, combat and falconry gives the event a stronger historical emphasis than many fantasy-focused fairs, while theatrical performances and interactive activities keep the program accessible to families.

The faire takes place during a particularly active period for historical events across the United States, with further options listed in Renaissance Faires and Medieval Festivals in September 2026.

🐎 Jousting, Armored Combat and Falconry

Jousting is one of the central attractions of the weekend. Mounted knights compete before spectators on the castle grounds, bringing one of the most recognizable elements of medieval tournament culture directly into the event.

Armored combat expands the martial program with fighters demonstrating weapon techniques while wearing historical-style protective equipment.

Falconry is also included in the announced 2026 entertainment lineup. The demonstrations introduce visitors to the long relationship between trained birds of prey and medieval European hunting culture.

Together, these attractions form the core of the faire’s historical entertainment, supported by music, dance, puppetry and roaming performances.

🎭 Music, Dance and Puppetry

The program extends beyond combat with performances intended for visitors of different ages.

Live musicians and dancers contribute to the festival atmosphere throughout the weekend, while puppetry provides another traditional form of family entertainment.

The event has developed a broad performance style that combines historical interpretation with Renaissance faire entertainment rather than attempting to reproduce a single medieval settlement with strict academic accuracy.

Visitors who regularly follow this type of event can explore further Renaissance Faire Events throughout the annual MedievalAgenda calendar.

🎟 Admission Prices

Advance tickets offer the lowest published admission rates.

Adult Single-Day Admission, age 13 and older: $12
Online ticket total including current service fee: $13.44

Child Single-Day Admission, ages 2–12: $7
Online ticket total including current service fee: $8.27

Family Single-Day Admission: $35
Includes: Two adults and two children
Online ticket total including current service fee: $37.25

Adult Weekend Pass: $22
Online ticket total including current service fee: $23.79

Child Weekend Pass, ages 2–12: $12
Online ticket total including current service fee: $13.44

Gate Prices

Adult admission: $15
Child admission: $10

Discounted tickets and package deals are offered online, with advance sales beginning August 1.

🎟 Buy Clayshire Castle Medieval Faire tickets online.

🛍 2026 Artisan Marketplace

More than 90 vendors are listed for the 2026 marketplace, making shopping one of the largest components of the weekend.

The selection covers handmade crafts, historical and fantasy clothing, chainmail, leatherwork, blacksmithing, pottery, ceramics, jewelry, artwork, books, home goods, horns, soaps, fiber crafts, accessories and food.

Among the announced participants are:

Cool Creek Forge
Dark Hammer Chainmail
EverNorse Horns & More
Gothic Edge
The Knotted Cloak
Minnow Creek Ceramics
The Pointy Hat Shoppe by Players’ Props
Raybar Craft Forge
Scottish Attire
Sharp Pointy Things
Thornfire Forge
White Knight Arms
White River Workshop
Yeoman’s Range
Zettlemoyer Pottery

Other merchants offer books, puzzles, crochet work, herbal products, soaps, fantasy art, decorative items and handmade accessories.

Food and drink vendors are also distributed around the grounds, serving savory dishes, desserts and refreshments. Adult visitors can purchase locally produced craft beer, cider and mead.

🍖 Food and Drink

The food program includes both meals and lighter festival fare.

Announced 2026 vendors include King Kintner’s Eats and Treats, Lady Baby’s Charity BBQ, Raven’s Nature Family Farm & Bakery, Retta Jean’s Tavern, Sweet Sips Drinks, Fruit Monster’s Fruit Bowls and other specialist stalls.

Local craft beer, cider and mead are available for adults alongside non-alcoholic beverages and food.

👧 Girl Scout Activities

Girl Scouts attending the faire can request a free Clayshire Castle Medieval Faire fun patch at the admission tent.

The program also includes an opportunity to visit the Giggling Goat tent for a lesson in wool spinning, connecting the special activity with a traditional textile craft.

🏰 Exploring Clayshire Castle

Clayshire Castle is more than a decorative backdrop built specifically for the festival. It is a functioning medieval-style bed and breakfast and event venue on a large wooded property.

The approximately 10,000-square-foot castle was created by Mary Jo and Doug Smock, who were inspired by years of attending medieval fairs with their family. Construction began in the early 2010s, and the property opened to guests in 2013.

Its design incorporates stone-faced medieval architecture with battlements, a two-story Great Hall and themed guest accommodations. Five guest rooms occupy the property, including the Tournament Room, Enchanted Forest Room, Fairy Tale Room, Tapestry Room and Wine Cellar Room.

The surrounding estate covers more than 100 wooded acres and includes walking trails, a hedge maze, oversized lawn chess and a 3.5-acre stocked pond.

During the faire, visitors can enter the castle on one-way, self-guided tours. The route involves stairs, so guests need to be able to climb them.

The castle setting is one of the main features that distinguishes this event from Renaissance fairs built entirely from temporary structures.

📜 Visitor Rules

Several rules apply to guests entering the festival grounds.

Weapons: Firearms are prohibited.

Bladed costume weapons: Blades must be peace-tied.

Pets: Pets are not permitted.

Smoking and vaping: Both are prohibited within the Medieval Faire. Smoking is permitted only in designated parking areas.

Castle tours: Tours follow a one-way self-guided route and require climbing stairs.

Parking: Parking and shuttle transportation between the parking area and faire are free.

🅿️ Parking and Shuttle Service

Free parking is provided for Medieval Faire visitors.

A complimentary shuttle service transports guests between the designated parking area and the festival grounds. Visitors should follow event signs when approaching the property rather than attempting to park immediately beside the castle entrance.

This arrangement helps manage traffic on the rural roads around the site and keeps the principal faire grounds available for performances, vendors and visitors.

🏨 Accommodation Discounts

The organizers have arranged discounts with hotels in the surrounding area for 2026 visitors.

Best Western Plus Covered Bridge Inn, Brazil: 10% off a one-night stay or 15% off a two-night stay when booking by telephone and mentioning “Clayshire.”

Address: 3882 N State Road 59, Brazil, Indiana 47834
Phone: 812-420-2299

Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Terre Haute: 10% discount using the Clayshire Castle corporate rate.

Address: 2645 S Joe Fox Street, Terre Haute, Indiana 47803
Corporate account number: 787141723
Phone: 812-234-3200

📍 About Bowling Green

Bowling Green is a small rural community in Washington Township, Clay County, between Terre Haute and Bloomington.

It is one of the oldest settlements in Clay County. A post office was established in 1825, the same year the county was organized, and Bowling Green initially served as the Clay County seat.

The community was incorporated as a town in 1869. As nearby Brazil grew with better transportation and commercial infrastructure, the county seat was transferred there in 1876.

The name is generally believed to have been inspired by Bowling Green, Virginia.

Bowling Green also has a long tradition of community gatherings. Its Old Settlers reunion developed during the 19th century and became one of the area’s longstanding annual traditions.

The community is no longer reported as a separate U.S. Census place. The 47833 ZIP Code area, which serves Bowling Green and its surrounding countryside, recorded 1,043 residents in the 2020 Census.

🚗 How to Get to Bowling Green

By Car

Driving is the simplest way to reach Clayshire Castle.

Bowling Green lies in west-central Indiana between Indianapolis and Terre Haute, south of Interstate 70. Indiana State Road 46 provides an important east-west route through the area and connects the community toward Terre Haute and Bloomington.

The final approach to the castle follows rural county roads to 8780 E County Road 75 N.

From Indianapolis, the drive is approximately 70 miles and usually takes a little over an hour.

From Terre Haute, Bowling Green is around 30 miles away.

By Bus

Bowling Green does not have an intercity bus terminal.

The nearest practical long-distance bus connection is in Terre Haute, where Greyhound and FlixBus serve the Terre Haute Greyhound Station at 750 Cherry Street.

Travelers arriving there will need to continue to Bowling Green by rental car, taxi or another road transfer.

By Train

There is no passenger railway station in Bowling Green or Terre Haute.

One practical Amtrak option is Crawfordsville, which is served by the Cardinal route connecting Chicago with Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Washington, D.C., and New York.

Because the station is still a considerable distance from the castle, rail passengers will need a car or other road transportation for the final part of the journey.

By Air

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is the nearest major commercial airport, approximately 60 miles from Bowling Green.

Rental cars provide the most practical connection between the airport and the festival.

Terre Haute Regional Airport is considerably closer geographically but does not provide the same scheduled commercial passenger network as Indianapolis.

📏 Approximate Road Distances from Bowling Green

Major Indiana Cities

Indianapolis: 69 miles
Carmel: approximately 80 miles
Fishers: approximately 90 miles
Evansville: approximately 120 miles
Fort Wayne: 199 miles
South Bend: approximately 205 miles

Major U.S. Cities

Chicago: approximately 225 miles
Philadelphia: approximately 700 miles
New York City: approximately 790 miles
Houston: approximately 980 miles
Phoenix: approximately 1,660 miles
Los Angeles: approximately 1,900 miles

Road distances can vary according to the chosen route and the exact starting point within each city.

⚔️ History of the Medieval Faire

Clayshire Castle’s Medieval Faire developed after the castle opened to the public as a bed and breakfast.

The event dates to the 2010s and has grown into the property’s largest annual public gathering. Attendance has reached several thousand visitors, with independent Renaissance-faire directories reporting crowds of more than 6,000.

Its Wars of the Roses theme takes advantage of the permanent castle backdrop while allowing the program to combine historical combat, mounted entertainment, music, artisans and family activities.

The 2026 edition continues this format with two full days of entertainment and a marketplace that has already filled its available vendor spaces.