Battletown Witch Festival
The Battletown Witch Festival – Where History Meets Haunting
Once upon a very eerie time (aka 2022), the Battletown Witch Festival was born—celebrating the legend, lore, and lingering spirits of Meade County’s haunted past. What started as a small gathering of the curious and the brave has exploded into a must-attend event, drawing over 10,000 festival-goers each year who are ready to embrace the strange, the spooky, and the supernatural.
At the heart of the festival is the story of Leah Smock—the real-life Battletown Witch. In 1840s Kentucky, Leah was an outsider, a woman with knowledge of herbs, healing, and the natural world. But in a time of fear and superstition, that was enough to mark her as dangerous. Wrongly accused of witchcraft, Leah became the last woman burned as a witch in the United States—a tragic and chilling piece of history that still lingers in the shadows of Meade County. Today, we honor her memory, not as a villain, but as a woman whose story deserves to be told.
Set against the backdrop of Meade County’s misty riverbanks and shadowy forests, this festival is a witchy wonderland of dark history, live entertainment, immersive haunts, macabre market vendors, and enough eerie energy to make the spirits restless. But the real magic? The Witches Dance.
Join four dancing troupes and become part of the largest gathering of "the Witches Dance" in Kentucky. Learn the legendary Wolfshäger Hexenbrut, summon your inner sorceress (or warlock), and dance like the spirits are watching—because, well… they probably are.
Whether you’re here for the legends, the costumes, or just the excuse to revel in the SpooKY for a while, the Battletown Witch Festival welcomes all creatures of the night.
Dare to join us? We always celebrate the spirit of the season on the last Saturday in October.