Our annual celebration of all things mead! Drink mead, learn how to make mead, celebrate mead! Also, it’s a fun excuse for a mini-Renaissance faire! Music, Vendors, Knights, Food, and more!
Featuring music by Thunder and Spice and NEW this year An Gorta Mor Memorial Pipe Band. Sword fighting demos by Knights of the Fiat Lux!!
Drinks - Our friends from Honeygirl Meadery will be joining us again with their meads!
BMC Brewery - try out a collaboration of a braggot (beer and mead)
Fair Game Beverage - grab a mixed drink
Koshu Sake Bar — try some sake
Food - Lilly Den Farm - bringing the smoker for amazing meats, ice cream, pie
Ta Contento - Mexican fast-food
Metal Brix Cafe - coffee, snacks and fair food
Kingston 99 Kitchen - Jamaican food
JDub’s PoBoys - NEW this year - shrimp, chicken, & oyster po’boys, ice cream sandwiches
GypZea Maze - NEW this year - kettle corn - gluten and dairy free
Family Friendly! Free event - except for food and drinks. Rain or Shine! Bring your friends! Come in costume! (We will be!)
Sign Up for VIP Seated Mead Tasting Experience
Claim your spot before the big day!
VIP Tastings are $15 plus tax per person and include 8 meads in a seated, private atmosphere with dedicated mead wench Jessica. Walkup tastings will be available the day of Mead Fest. There will be a line outside the Mead Hall with first come, first served tastings. The VIP tasting will be held in the Blue Room.
We strongly recommend pre-purchasing a VIP tasting as we get very busy at Mead Fest. (Or, come in any other day of the year!)
Photos of Mead Fest 2018 taken by Greg Stewart
Vendors Confirmed for Mead Fest 2024
Glimmerfae Creations - fairy photos with a giant mushroom & forest background, henna
The Dapper Kraken - fabric arts
Finklepott’s Fairy Hair - sparkle for your hair, appointment signups here
Custom Creature Creations - face painting, henna, glitter tattoos
Beekeeper, Inc - honeys
CLAWS - information on wildlife rescue, birds
Blue Ridge Pepper Patch - hot peppers, jellies
Chatham Axes - try ax throwing, throw a few or throw all day
Lockheart Design - woodworking - cutting and charcuterie boards
Chimerical Reaction - leather and chainmail clothing and accessories
Hedge and Henge - herbs, stones, crafts
James Maxstadlt, author - fantasy author
Samhain Faerie Creations - crocheted critters
American Brewmaster - get your home mead making questions answered
Secret Paper Co - NEW this year - cards, notebooks, tote bags
Luci Belle Lu Design - NEW this year - chainmaille jewelry, spiritual gifts
SCA - NEW this year - visit their encampment for crafts, kid’s games, demonstrations, archery, and photo ops
Rabbit Creations - NEW this year - Nordic & Viking inspired woodworking and games
Shiny Arts Glassworks - NEW this year - stained glass
Hawkins’ Honey - NEW this year - very local honey from Chatham County
Southern Energy - NEW this year - solar panel info
Blazon - Medieval heraldry game
Counting Every Color - NEW this year - resin work, earrings
The Colors of Cosplay - NEW this year - elf ears, bags, cosplay jewelry
Schedule of Events
An Gorta Mor Memorial Pipe Band March In – 12:00
Knights Sword Fighting - 12:30 pm
Tour the Starrlight Mead Production – 12:45 pm
CLAWS Bird Release – 1 pm
Music: Thunder and Spice – 1 pm
Samples of Locally Available Meads - 1:30 pm - free, limited to the first 40 people
CLAWS Bird Release – 2 pm
Music: Thunder and Spice - 2 pm
Home Mead Making Demo & Raffle - 2 pm
Knights Sword Fighting - 2:30 pm
Tour the Starrlight Mead Production – 3 pm
CLAWS Bird Release – 3 pm
Music: Thunder and Spice - 3 pm
Ribbon Cutting New Solar Panels – 3:45 pm
Music: Thunder and Spice - 4 pm
CLAWS Bird Release – 4 pm
Mead Club Private Tasting - 4 pm - Mead Club Members Only! We’ll be tasting the 4-year-old Ebling and something secret! Get a special Mead Fest price on Ebling too!