Ancient Arts Festival
- Dates
- Expected October
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Chatham County Agricultural Center
- Price
- $25 to $50
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 5, 2026
Ancient Arts Festival's next dates haven't been announced yet. The last festival was 9 to 11 October 2026 in Pittsboro, NC. Froligo tracks current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
Age, licensing and hygiene
All ages, children 12 and under free. No minimum age for getting tattooed is stated by the organizer
The organiser publishes nothing on Any hygiene, sterilization or single-use-needle statement, Any tattoo licensing or health-department statement, Minimum age for getting tattooed and Consent or aftercare protocol. Ask the artist you are booking with, and expect a licensed booth to answer without hesitating.
Checked 2026-09-05The experience
What's special
Ancient Arts Festival is a tattoo and oddity expo hosted by 401 Tattoo and Antiquities at the Chatham County Agricultural Center in Pittsboro, North Carolina, running its 4th annual edition October 9 to 11, 2026. Beyond live tattooing by a roster the organizer numbers at 45 artists, and a tattoo contest with registration Saturday at noon and judging at 5 PM, the weekend is built around a variety-arts program: puppetry and theatre from the PaperHand Puppet Project, TOYBOX Theatre and Matt Sandbanks' Shadow Factory, sideshow and carnival acts by Jax Silvertree, live music from Loyalty Is Timeless, Hummingbird Harmonies with NC harpist Euterpea, Fantasy Flute, Wildefell Wolves, Mortal Coil and Serpentry, live painting by Jordan Jones, 1920s-era silent movies on two screens, a masquerade costume contest, oddity and macabre art vendors and food trucks. Admission is a $25 day pass or a $50 weekend pass good for all three days (about $26.75 and $53.50 at Eventbrite checkout with fees), children 12 and under free, tickets available at the door, and on-site parking is free
What happens on the floor
Finished and same-day work is judged on stage in named categories, usually late in the day.
Artists painting away from the machine, with the work usually for sale at the end.
Bands or DJs playing alongside the tattoo floor.
Getting tattooed here
Admission gets you through the door, not into a chair. Tattoo work is arranged with the artist, not with the show.
The organizer directs people to the website's Attending Artists page and Instagram (@ancientartsfestival) for each artist and their contact method
Who is tattooing
The organizer states the festival hosts 45 tattoo artists and directs people to the website's Attending Artists page and Instagram (@ancientartsfestival) for the roster and contact methods. The Wix Attending Artists page renders its list through JavaScript and did not expose individual names or handles to a static fetch on 5 September 2026, so only Betak (named on Eventbrite) is captured individually. The full roster is available on the live artists page and Instagram; no names were invented
1 artists are listed for this edition, by name only, which is all the organiser publishes.
Attending tattoo artist
- Betak
Around the tattooing
Also running
- Live tattooingBy local and out-of-state artists
- Live painting
- PaperHand Puppet Project
- TOYBOX Theatre
- Sandbanks Shadow Factory
- Jax Silvertree sideshow and carnival acts
- Live musicLoyalty Is Timeless, Hummingbird Harmonies / NC harpist Euterpea, Fantasy Flute, Wildefell Wolves, Mortal Coil and Serpentry are listed
- 1920s-era silent moviesScreened on two screens
What it costs
Admission is the only price the show sets. Admission does not include a tattoo. The organizer says the festival hosts 45 tattoo artists from across the country and points to the website and Instagram for each artist's methods of contact; each artist sets their own price. No price list is published.
Children 12 and under are free. On-site parking is free. Eventbrite adds a service fee to each ticket (day $25 to $26.75, weekend $50 to $53.50)
The market and the food
The market floor carries oddity and macabre art vendors.
Food on site: food trucks.
The festival advertises food trucks on site. Named food vendors and dietary options are not listed
Hours and the floor
A three-day tattoo and oddity expo hosted by 401 Tattoo and Antiquities at the Chatham County Agricultural Center, layering live tattooing, oddity and macabre art vendors, a named theatre and puppetry program, sideshow, live music, live painting, silent films and food trucks
Laid out as tattoo floor, oddity/macabre vendor area, stage-performance area, live-painting area, silent-movie screens and food-truck area.
Getting there
Nearest airport Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), about 35 miles east.
How do I get to Ancient Arts Festival?
By car
The Chatham County Agricultural Center is at 1192 US-64 Business in Pittsboro, about 35 miles / 45 minutes west of Raleigh-Durham International (RDU); Chapel Hill is about 20 minutes northeast. The ag center has free surface parking
Most people drive to Ancient Arts Festival. The nearest major airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), about 35 miles east, and from there it is a straightforward drive to the venue. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
By bus & public transit
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
Taxi & rideshare
Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), about 35 miles east
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Chatham County Agricultural Center
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Ancient Arts Festival?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Airbnb & private camping
Pittsboro and nearby Fearrington Village have charming small-inn and rental options; Chapel Hill and the wider Triangle open up the full market within 20 to 40 minutes
Search Airbnb →Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Pricing
Price history and tiers
Got fresher info? Tell us, a real person checks every tip, and we love fresh info.