Alabama Renaissance Faire Oct. 24-25 in Florence

Always the fourth weekend in October, downtown Florence recreates itself as a 1400s-era small medieval village where hundreds of people in authentic period costumes entertain more than 30,000 people each year. The 23rd annual Alabama Renaissance Faire is a celebration of the Renaissance Period featuring musical programs, theatrical performances, art exhibits, dance programs, and public lectures. The festival also includes handcrafts and wares typical of the Renaissance period available for purchase, entertainers performing with ancient instruments, sword fighters, and even trolls.

This year’s event is scheduled for October 24, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and October 25, noon to 6 p.m., at the Fountain-On-The-Green (Wilson Park) in downtown Florence, Alabama. Admission is free. In addition to the festivities centered on Fountain-On-The-Green, a special exhibit by the Shoals Artists Guild will be on display at the Kennedy-Douglass Art Center located at 217 E Tuscaloosa Street.

To add to the festivities, everyone is invited to come dressed in period attire. No costume to wear? A free costume-making workshop will be held on October 10 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Kennedy-Douglass Art Center. People of all ages are invited to bring fabric (three yards, sixty inches wide), and the measuring, cutting, and sewing will be handled by men and women connected with the Faire. The costume can be embellished with jewelry, belts, etc. and then worn to the Faire.

A Renaissance Feast with authentic food and entertainment of the period and the selection of a new King and Queen is scheduled for October 17 at 7 p.m. at the Florence-Lauderdale Coliseum located at 702 East Veterans Drive. Cost is $25 per person and seating is limited to 200 people. Tickets may be purchased at the Kennedy-Douglass Art Center beginning October 1.

For more information, visit the Alabama Renaissance Faire’s web site at www.alarenfaire.org or call 256.768.3031.