For generations, this Kentucky community has been haunted by the ghost of Leah Smock, so they decided to celebrate her.

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Kentucky's Weirdest County

Meade County in Kentucky is anything other than ordinary.  In fact, this county is so weird, there is even a website that focuses on Meade County's obscure history, WeirdMeadeCounty.com.  According to Weird Meade County, this area was once home to some of the first peoples in the Americas and has a history that dates back to 10,000 BC.  As you can imagine this specific area is home to some notorious legends.

The Tragic Story of the Battletown Witch-Leah Smock

One particular past resident of Meade County is said to still haunt the area, the Battletown Witch.  Leah Smock was nicknamed the Battletown Witch because legend had it that Leah came from a long line of powerful witches.  Unfortunately back during that time period, an accusation of witchcraft could be a death sentence and, Leah's life was tragically cut short when she was murdered by being burned alive.

According to Weird Meade County, Leah was known for being intelligent, and highly intuitive.

She was reputedly the daughter of another powerful Kentucky witch. First hand accounts of people who actually encountered the young woman known as Leah Smock portrayed her as an intelligent and beautiful woman. It has been suggested that she had powerful intuition and possibly second sight, through natural or supernatural reasoning. She was attributed with healing properties, either from herbal remedies or powers of her own. She was also a “seer”. She predicted the deaths of critically ill people.

Ever since her death in 1840 legends of her haunting Meade County have been passed down for generations.

The Battletown Witch Festival

Back in 2022 Meade County was home to the first-ever Battletown Witch Festival, and it was such a success that it's happening again this year!  Local lore says that the ghost of Leah Smock still haunts the area, so the festival is said to be a celebration of her life and to make sure her story is not forgotten.

The idea of the festival came about by wanting to celebrate a life that ended in tragedy. We hope that by taking a day to celebrate folklore, herbalism, native healing techniques, and Kentucky spiritualism we will help Leah rest a little easier.

The Battletown Witch Festival will take place on October 28th, 2023 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Meade Olin Park.  Not only will there be historians and local authors to speak about Leah Smock and her life, but there will also be vendor booths, psychics, tarot readers, mystical healing, ghost stories, kids activities, and much more.  Be sure to follow the Battletown Witch Festival Facebook page to stay up to date with everything happening with the event in 2023.