Fort Frederick State Park Hosts Annual 18th Century Market Fair

Shoppe until Ye Drop April 26-29

History fans will delight in visiting the 18th century Market Fair at Fort Frederick State Park. The annual event features entertainment, food and merchants from the colonial time period adjacent to the park’s historic stone fort built during the French and Indian War in 1756.

The fair runs April 26-29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. A fundraising auction will be held Saturday to benefit the Friends of Fort Frederick State Park. The fair is hosted by the friends group and the Maryland Park Service.

“By attending the market fair, visitors will take part in gathering goods just as colonial citizens obtained needed supplies,” Park Ranger Bob Study said. “This event provides visitors an interesting opportunity to experience colonial life up close, along with a firsthand look inside the historic fort that protected the Maryland frontier in the 1700s.”

The event features hundreds of re-enactors and merchants selling modern-day and colonial-period food and pastries as well as museum-quality reproductions of merchandise such as books, camp gear, clothing, lanterns, muskets, pottery, paintings and prints and other wares. Free on-site entertainers will include magicians, musicians and puppeteers. 

Admission is $5 for adults; $2 for children ages 6–12, and free for children 5 and under.