Camlann Saint James Faire 2026

Camlann Saint James Faire 2026 takes place on July 25–26 at Camlann Medieval Village, Carnation, Washington, with festival hours from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The event brings visitors into a late fourteenth-century English village setting, with music, archery, magic, puppetry, medieval crafts, and living history interpretation as its main attractions.

The faire is held at one of Washington’s most distinctive medieval venues: Camlann Medieval Village, a living history museum dedicated to portraying rural life in southwest England in 1376 CE. Rather than presenting a modern fairground with a medieval theme, the site is built around immersive interpretation, costumed villagers, traditional skills, period-inspired food, storytelling, and demonstrations that help visitors understand everyday life in the late Middle Ages.

For readers planning a wider summer itinerary, this event fits naturally among Renaissance and Medieval Festivals in July 2026, especially for those looking for a historically focused experience in the Pacific Northwest.

📅 Date and opening hours

July 25–26
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

The St. James Feast begins at 5:00 PM, but the 2026 feast dates are listed as sold out. Festival visitors are still welcome during the daytime event hours, and admission is available at the front gate.

🎟 Admission

Admission is available at the gate.

• Adults: $15
• Children and seniors: $10

The daytime festival does not require the sold-out feast reservation. Visitors who attend during the afternoon can enjoy the village program, festival atmosphere, demonstrations, and food service options available on site.

⚔️ What to expect at Camlann Saint James Faire 2026

The event celebrates the feast of St. James through the world of Chaucer’s England, with a focus on music, seasonal celebration, rural village life, and medieval performance. The experience is deliberately small-scale and immersive, encouraging visitors to move through the village, observe demonstrations, speak with interpreters, and take part in selected activities.

Expected highlights include:

• Medieval music and minstrels
• Magic and sleight-of-hand performance
• Puppetry and storytelling
• Longbow archery demonstrations
• Knightly combat and martial displays
• Traditional craft presentations
• Games of skill
• Living history interpretation
• Medieval-style food and village dining

Camlann’s festival days are especially suitable for visitors who prefer historical atmosphere over commercial scale. The focus is on interpretation, craft, foodways, performance, and the rhythms of a medieval rural community. Those exploring other regional events can also browse Renaissance and Medieval Festivals in Washington for additional fairs and festivals across the state.

🏰 About Camlann Medieval Village

Camlann Medieval Village is a living history museum project built around the daily life of a small rural village in southwest England in 1376. Its educational approach combines performance, material culture, craft practice, food history, and experimental archaeology.

The village includes interpreters portraying medieval villagers and presenting skills such as cooking, blacksmithing, music, pottery, weaving, woodworking, combat, and writing. During festival weekends, this interpretive base expands with special entertainment, seasonal customs, and activities connected to medieval holidays.

The Bors Hede Inne adds an important culinary element to the venue. Designed as a fourteenth-century village inn, it serves medieval-inspired fare and hosts dinner service by reservation on regular weekends. During the St. James Festival, daytime visitors can enjoy lunch service without a reservation for smaller parties.

🧭 About Carnation, Washington

Carnation is a small city in King County with an estimated population of around 2,320 residents. It sits in the Snoqualmie Valley, an area historically shaped by farming, dairying, river travel, and rural settlement.

The community was originally known as Tolt and was founded in the nineteenth century. In 1917, the town was renamed Carnation, reflecting the influence of the nearby dairy farm associated with the Carnation Evaporated Milk Company. The older name still appears locally in places such as Tolt-MacDonald Park, a major outdoor area near the meeting of the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers.

Today, Carnation retains a rural valley identity while remaining within reach of Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, and other Eastside communities. Its location makes it a practical day trip for visitors interested in living history, medieval food, and cultural events outside the urban core.

🚗 How to get there

By car: Carnation is most easily reached by road. From Seattle or Bellevue, visitors typically travel east toward Redmond and continue into the Snoqualmie Valley via regional roads. Parking arrangements should be checked before arrival, especially on festival weekends.

By train: There is no direct passenger rail station in Carnation. The closest major rail hub is Seattle, served by Amtrak, with onward travel by car, rideshare, or regional transit connections.

By bus: Regional bus options operate in King County, but service to rural event locations can be limited. Visitors relying on public transport should check current schedules and allow extra time for transfers.

By air: The nearest major airport is Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, located southwest of Carnation. From the airport, the most practical option is usually a rental car or a combination of rail, bus, and rideshare.

📏 Approximate distances from Carnation

Main cities in Washington

Major cities in the United States