2024 SPECIAL EVENTS

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Upcoming Major Events:

Fire in the Shire
Saturday, June 1st from 10am - 5pm

Our annual festival is a citywide celebration of all things medieval.

Events at the Castle:
10:00am - Kazimir the Hungry - Fire Breathing & Sword Swallowing
10:30am - Wisconsin Historical Fencing Association - Longsword Demo
11:10am - Armor through the Ages
11:40am - Wisconsin Historical Fencing Association - Rapier, Dagger, & Smallsword
12:20pm - Kazimir the Hungry - Fire Breathing & Sword Swallowing
12:50pm - Clann Tartan- Pike Demo
1:30pm - Wisconsin Historical Fencing Association - Longsword Demo
2:10pm - Clann Tartan- Non-firing Matchlock Musket Demo
2:50pm - Wisconsin Historical Fencing Association - Rapier, Dagger, & Smallsword
3:30pm - Kazimir the Hungry - Fire Breathing & Sword Swallowing
4:15pm - Holy Grail Drawing & Presentation
5:00pm - Museum Closes

Medieval Music by Bardmageddon at 1:00pm and 3:00pm in the museum theater.

Ongoing: Clann Tartan, A Life Medieval, and Hangin’ with the Bard in the museum courtyard.

Concessions by One Eye Dave’s Hotdogs

The Search For The "Holy Grail"
Visitors interested in searching for the fabled “Holy Grail” in the shops of the shire can enter a drawing to win the treasured artifact along with $100 Alma Bucks. The drawing will be held at 4:15pm at the Castle. Participating businesses include Fire & Ice, Alma Leather, Water Lily Gifts, Wings Over Alma, Bill’s Talk of the Town, Happy Hub, Stump Town Gallery, Riverside Bait & Liquor, W Whiffs, and The Garden Gate.

Other Events
The Midwest Renaissance Actors Guild and Lasa Anahata Tribal Belly will be performing on Main Street. The Big River Theater will be playing A Knight’s Tale at 7:00pm.

Admission wristbands are $6 for adults and $4 for students. Children four and under are free. Visitors in ancient, medieval, or renaissance era dress pay half price. Weapons must be sheathed & peace tied..

Lectures & Programs:
Most lectures and programs are held in the museum's theater area. Seating is limited. Contact the museum at 608-685-4231 or info@castlerockmuseum.com for reservations. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for students, unless otherwise noted. Museum members receive a 50% discount on most events.


Dungeons & Dragons at Castlerock
Sunday, April 28th at 2pm
Join Luke Kramer for a short discussion on Dungeons & Dragons. Afterwards, visitors will have the opportunity to try their hand at playing Dungeons & Dragons, a popular role playing game. Museum volunteers will lead visitors through a short adventure with low level progenerated characters. This is a great opportunity for first time players to learn how to play the game. Reservations are required.

The Sword in Motion
Saturday, May 18th at 2pm
Join Luke Kramer, an instructor for Driftless HEMA, for a special presentation on “The Sword in Motion: An Overview of Fight Books from the Late Middle Ages and Early Renaissance." The program will look at these fight books over the ages, starting with the earliest known depiction of sword and buckler, and covering up through the rise of the rapier. Afterwards, members of Driftless HEMA will demonstrate the combat system of notable fencing masters Johannes Liechtenauer and Nicoletto Giganti in the museum courtyard, weather permitting.

Weapons through the Ages
Saturday, July 13th at 2pm
Join museum volunteers, Jamie LaBreck and Patrick Kelly as they discuss the general evolution of weapons from the bronze age to the late industrial era. Although the focus will be on European weapons, they will cover examples from around the world.

How Medieval Armor was Made
Saturday, August 24th at 2pm
Join blacksmith Thomas Latane for a special program on the "Material Manipulation in the Manufacture of Metal Plate for the Man-at-arms." During the program, Tom will demonstrate cold metalworking techniques employed in the forming of armor. He will cover the production of iron, the differences between sinking and raising, and show forming techniques that increase the rigidity of armor, such as ribs, ridges, and borders.

From Forest to Furniture
Saturday, September 28th from 10am-4pm
Join Tom Latane, Paul Nyborg, Derek Olson, and Tim Hartzell as they demonstrate woodworking techniques used since the days when woodworkers walked into the woods for their material and began the work on the forest floor. Spectators will be able to visit with the woodworkers as the chips fly.

Meet the Vikings
Saturday, October 19th from 10am-4pm
Join us for a daylong celebration of all things “Viking.” Reenactors will be on hand to answer questions about Viking history, culture, technology, clothing, and weapons. There will be programs in the museum theater on Vikings 101 at 11am, Viking Navigation at noon, Viking Clothing at 1pm, Viking Weapons and Armor at 2pm, and Viking Tactics at 3pm. Demonstrations will include nalbinding, Viking games, and cold metalwork techniques for the surface ornamentation of forged iron articles. Visitors can also see several actual Viking era artifacts on exhibit including a spangenhelm, chieftain’s sword, and Danish axe.

How a Medieval Sword Was Made
Saturday, November 2nd at 2pm
Join Craig Johnson, Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute, for a special program on the how swords were made. Medieval swords were meticulously crafted by several different crafts people in a chain of production that is little understood today. Craig will look at the process from raw materials to a finished sword for sale at a shop. The entire process being an example of how the different guilds, crafts and merchants worked together to produce the products of the medieval period.