Florence-Hear ye, hear ye – let it be known that the official Alabama Renaissance Faire will be commencing on the Fountain on the Green (commoners know it as Wilson Park) on Saturday October 27th and Sunday October 28th, 2012. The Faire will be celebrating 26 years of educating and entertaining royalty and the masses in Florence, AL. Saturday’s hours are 10 -6 and Noon to 6 on Sunday. Vendors will be set up around the park and food will be available for purchase. Participants are encouraged, but not required to wear period costumes. The event is FREE to the public and always has been.
The Renaissance Faire is an all volunteer event created and executed by community folks who have a love of the time period. Their goal is a fun community event and education about the Renaissance era.
Regular interactive demonstrations in public schools around the state are part of the educational mission of the Faire. The Faire Volunteers are an eclectic mix of the community known as the Round Table. Members have an assortment of weapons, armor, books, music and other period artifacts that are displayed and explained to school children around the state and region.
Our connections to Italy are also highlighted. There is a back-story created by one of the volunteers where our Florence Kingdom was put under a curse many, many years ago. It allows the monarchs to reign for just one year. Each time there is a change, the hope is that they will finally be the one to break the curse. The King or Queen are selected during each year’s Renaissance Feast at the Florence/Lauderdale Coliseum and preside over the weekend’s activities. The fate of the rulers often is the source of much debate and provides for interesting entertainment. Maybe this will be the year that the curse is finally broken!
The Renaissance Faire is routinely in the Top 20 Events in the Southeast and has been won Event of the Year by the Alabama Tourism Department. The Faire is featured in a 12 page photo spread in the national Renaissance Magazine. The photos were taken during the Silver Anniversary of the Faire in 2011. Copies of the magazine will be on sale at the Faire and are available at Books A Million.
For more information check out www.alarenfair.org and www.visitflorenceal.com
