Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair
- Dates
- Apr 22 to 25, 2027
- Status
- Announced
- Venue
- Fort Frederick State Park
- Price
- $10
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Oct 16, 2026
Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair comes to Fort Frederick State Park, Big Pool, MD, Apr 22 to 25, 2027. Froligo tracks current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
The experience
What's special
The Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair recreates a colonial-era market fair and encampment beside a 1756 stone fort in western Maryland. Juried sutlers sell authentic 18th-century wares, pottery, tin and copper ware, blacksmith goods, period clothing and patterns, books, flintlock arms, horn wares, lanterns, and fresh-baked food, while hundreds of participants in colonial clothing portray artisans, soldiers, ladies and gentlemen, Native Americans, and traders, and period entertainers perform. Campfire smoke and blanket trading fill the spring air across a fair that represents eastern North America from 1730 through 1790
What people love
The fair is known among reenactors and shoppers as a place to fully outfit an 18th-century impression from excellent period tailors and sutlers, and as a gathering of highly skilled artisans and tradespeople recreating 18th-century work. It is widely regarded as one of the country's notable colonial living-history market fairs
See it before you go
Costumes & what to wear
Do I need a costume?
Day visitors do not need a costume, modern clothes are fine, though many visitors wear historic garb and the vendors and encamped participants are in period dress. (Guidance drawn from a Maryland State Parks description surfaced in search; treat as event-adjacent rather than a formal FAQ.)
Costume rules
The fair is a juried living-history event for participating campers and sutlers, who portray period roles in colonial clothing representing eastern North America from 1730 through 1790; new sutlers must apply and be approved by the Trade Committee. Day visitors are welcome in ordinary modern clothes, and many choose to wear period garb
Weapons policy
Sutlers sell period arms such as flintlock rifles and muskets and related accoutrements as part of the 18th-century market; specific visitor weapons rules were not detailed in the sources on file (participant conduct is governed by the event's trade rules)
Joining in
Day visitors browse the sutler market and 18th-century encampment, watch period entertainers, and see hundreds of participants in colonial clothing portray artisans, soldiers, ladies and gentlemen, Native Americans, and traders; blanket trading among participants takes place in the camper area
Getting there
How do I get to Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair?
By car
Most people drive to Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair. 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
If you are hiring a car, it is worth checking parking near the venue before you go.
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Where
Venue
Fort Frederick State Park
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Fort Frederick 18th Century Market Fair?
Airport hotels 3
45020 Aviation Drive, VA 20166
Link coming soon2520 Wasser Terrace, Herndon, VA 20171
Link coming soon13869 Park Center Road, Herndon, VA 20171
Link coming soonHotel links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Pricing
Historical context
This is an 18th-century living-history market fair recreating colonial-era commerce and camp life of eastern North America (1730-1790), held beside Fort Frederick, a stone fort built in 1756 during the French and Indian War era. Participants in period clothing portray a range of colonial-era roles, including Native Americans; the fair is a juried event that also invites American Indian participants to portray the appropriate time period and region.
Friends of Fort Frederick State Park - 18th Century Market Fair ↗
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