Great Lakes Medieval Faire and Marketplace
- Dates
- Expected July
- Status
- Expected
- Venue
- Rickard Manor (3033 State Route 534, Rock Creek, OH 44084)
- Price
- $25
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Aug 24, 2026
The experience
What's special
The Great Lakes Medieval Faire builds the Village of Avaloch in the woods of Rickard Manor in northeast Ohio, a shaded, forested faire that runs midsummer weekends with a different fantasy theme every weekend - pirates, Oz-flavored steampunk, Celtic-and-Viking clashes, even a barbarians-meet-gamers finale. Its roster mixes rarities like Cast in Bronze (a four-ton, 35-bell carillon played live) and the Akron Hedge Knights' unchoreographed full-contact armored combat with faire staples, and the day closes with a beloved all-crowd Pub Sing whose lyrics the faire publishes so everyone can join. The village runs its own transferable currency (Avaloch Dollars), pets are welcome for a small registration fee, and stage acts are paid by the faire, making tips genuinely optional.
What people love
Regulars love how much of the faire lives under the trees - the shaded woodland layout is the most-praised feature during its hot midsummer run - along with a costume culture where most of the crowd dresses up, vendors selling genuinely handmade goods, and crowd-favorite acts like the Washing Well Wenches. It reads as a smaller, intimate local faire: easy lines, lots to fill a day, and free water at aid stations. Critics call it modest and repetitive year over year, note porta-potties rather than real bathrooms and some worn buildings, and lament that alcohol has been absent in recent seasons; summer heat is the constant companion even in the shade.
Last time around
The 2026 season ran weekends from July 11 through August 23, with seven themed weekends and a performer roster blending returning favorites (Cast in Bronze, the Akron Hedge Knights, Celtic Mayhem, Cu Dubh, The Dream Folk) with debuts including Acrobellum, Amanda Kitchens, The Dueling Fools, and Giacomo the Jester.
On the lanes & stages
Set in the Medieval period. Event style: faire.
Lineup
The next lineup not yet announced. Here is who played in 2026:
Costumes & what to wear
Do I need a costume?
Costuming is the norm here, attendees estimate that around 80% of guests dress up, one of the highest rates on the circuit, but nobody is turned away for street clothes; groups in matching themed dress are common, and the weekend themes invite anything from pirates to steampunk. Comfortable, mud-tolerant shoes matter more than the costume: the lanes are gravel and dirt through woods
Costume rules
Costume weapon adornments must be peace-tied with sharp edges covered, unable to be drawn or wielded; every item is examined at the gate case by case
Weapons policy
Any weapon adornment or costume accessory must be peace-tied with sharp edges protected so it cannot be drawn or wielded; all weapons are examined at the gate and handled case by case
Joining in
The faire's Pub Sing finale is a signature all-crowd singalong (lyrics are published so guests can join), Highland games have taken guest participants, and stage acts are paid by the faire, so tipping is entirely voluntary
Getting there
Nearest airport CLE.
How do I get to Great Lakes Medieval Faire and Marketplace?
By train 1
No passenger rail serves Rock Creek, Geneva, or Ashtabula County. The nearest Amtrak stop is Cleveland Lakefront Station downtown, about 55 miles west of the faire, served by long-distance trains with middle-of-the-night arrival times in both directions, workable only if you finish the trip by rental car or a long rideshare
Book / info →By bus 1
No scheduled intercity bus stops in Rock Creek or Geneva. Greyhound's Cleveland stop is a depot in suburban Brook Park (linked to downtown by the RTA Red Line), roughly 65 miles from the faire with no onward transit connection, finish by rental car or rideshare
Book / info →Taxi & rideshare 1
The faire is a rural site in Ashtabula County, about 65 miles east of Cleveland Hopkins, take I-90 east to the Geneva exit (218), then Route 534 south for 7 miles. Uber and Lyft pick up curbside at CLE and the outbound trip is straightforward, but driver coverage around Rock Creek is thin, so pre-book or arrange your return ride rather than counting on hailing one at the gate at closing time
Book / info →🅿 Parking
On site parking available. Cost $5 per car. Parking is in the faire's own lots for a $5 fee, payable in cash, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. Handicap parking is available near the front gate with a marker present. The entry car line is longest around midday, budget 15-20 minutes to park and walk in from the far lots
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at CLE
A rental car is the practical choice for fly-in visitors: the faire is a rural woodland site an hour-plus from Cleveland Hopkins with no transit and thin rideshare coverage, and the surrounding Grand River Valley wine country rewards having your own wheels
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Rickard Manor (3033 State Route 534, Rock Creek, OH 44084)
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Great Lakes Medieval Faire and Marketplace?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Budget stays 1
1860 Austinburg Rd, Austinburg, OH, about 15 minutes' drive to the faire
≈ $60-95 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Mid-range hotels 1
2900 GH Drive, Austinburg, OH, about 15 minutes' drive to the faire
≈ $100-150 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Luxe hotels 1
4888 N Broadway, Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH, about 25 minutes' drive to the faire
≈ $150-250 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Book direct →Airbnb & private camping
Geneva-on-the-Lake is a long-running Lake Erie resort strip about 25 minutes north of the faire, so the area has a genuine vacation-rental market, lake cottages, winery-adjacent farm stays, and village homes in Geneva. Midsummer weekends are the local high season (the faire's run coincides with peak lake and wine-trail traffic), so book well ahead for July and August Saturdays
Search Airbnb →Camping is a genuinely practical base here: the faire's own directions page points to five area campgrounds, a KOA in Thompson and family campgrounds in Geneva, Montville, and Jefferson, and Geneva State Park on the lakeshore adds tent and RV sites. Hipcamp lists private-land options across the Grand River Valley countryside
Search Hipcamp →Pricing
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