Carroll, Lee, Ogle & Whiteside Counties

Tis fitting and proper for the gates to open at 9 in the morning and close at 4 in the afternoon. The Faire shalt stay open until the last Castle tour is completed!

Click on any image to enlarge.

In case of rain, the Faire shalt move inside.

Stronghold’s Olde English Faire is where you can step back in time and see what life might have been like during the Renaissance.

What delights await the Gentles at the Faire?
Too many to mention but a few!

• Swordfighters keeping alive the traditions of chivalry and fair play—most of the time
• Wandering players, on stage and off, who shalt amaze thee with feats of magic and derring do, zany comedy, heroics, and more
• Merrie minstrels shalt serenade thee with melodies from near and far
• Gremlin's Garden, where children reign, shalt be the site for children's plays
• A knighting ceremony by the Queen
• Join the Pirate Adventure
• Merchants and artisans offer fanciful treasures for M'Lord and Ladye
• Stronghold's International Gift Shop brings the world to thee
• Hearty food, coffee, and soft drinks available for purchase
• Rain? Ha! We laugh at rain! In case of foul weather we shalt move inside!

Tour Stronghold Castle – explore the Great Hall, the Library with a ceiling painted by Russian artist Nicholas Kasaroff, the Rumpelstiltskin room and, of course, the secret passageway hidden in one of the rooms. 

Costumed crafters will also be selling their wares throughout the Merchant’s Walk. Booths will offer a variety of headpieces, costumes, pottery, handcrafted games, jewelry, hand-woven scarves and cloaks, candles, and many other items. Plan to purchase Yuletide gifts and something for yourself.

Stronghold’s International Gift Shop, housed in Brubaker Center, offers a variety of baskets, Christmas items, dolls, toys, clothing, jewelry, wall hangings and decorator items from Central and South America, the near and far East, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. Items are handcrafted and sales benefit the artisans of developing nations.

A variety of food and snack items will be available in the Castle courtyard, Brubaker Center and the Faire midway.

Stronghold, a conference, retreat, and camping center owned by the Presbytery of Blackhawk, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is situated on 360 acres of woodlands on the bluffs overlooking the Rock River.

When not hosting the Olde English Faire, the Center offers facilities for overnight retreats, summer camps, one-day seminars, leadership development programs and outdoor recreation and education programs.

A Bit of History
Walter Strong, owner and publisher of the Chicago Daily News, and his family built the Castle as a vacation home in 1929.  

It was purchased by a group of Presbyterian Churches in 1963 and is the centerpiece of the conference center.

Stronghold is located two miles north of the Ogle County Courthouse Square on Ill. 2.

For more information about the Faire, call Stronghold, 815-732-6111 or visit www.strongholdcenter.org. For more complete information about the Autumn on Parade Festival, visit www.autumnonparade.org.

Written by Autumn on Parade Staff
Photos Courtesy of Jack Hughes. Copyright 2007.