The Alabama Renaissance Faire will return to Florence this weekend, providing themed fun and festivities for all attendees.
The faire will be at Wilson Park in downtown Florence on Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Oct. 27 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
2024 marks 38 years of the volunteer-run, nonprofit renaissance faire, one of the only of its kind in Alabama. The group of volunteers, called the Roundtable, meets regularly to plan the event far in advance, making sure that every task is delegated properly. The entire group is involved in the planning and execution of the faire, and any money made through grants or vendor fees goes right back into the faire for next year.
“In many groups, twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work,” said Billy Warren, director of the Alabama Renaissance Faire Roundtable. “That’s been proven, especially in nonprofit groups like we are. It’s great to know that they’re not just here for fun, and they will be there helping.”
Darlene Freemon, one of the faire volunteers, who is also known as Duchess Darlene the Learned, joined the Roundtable in 1898 after attending the faire. She had worked at the Shakopee, Minn. Renaissance Faire as a character, and she had an interest in the Renaissance, so she was excited to get involved. As an English teacher at Florence City Schools, Freemon became the educational liaison between the faire and the school system, helping to include learning opportunities among the festivities.
“We tried to tie everything in to some curriculum of the Florence City Schools, and we still do that,” said Freemon. “We still try to focus on the educational aspects of the faire, not just the fun part, but the educational part as well.”
Attendees of this year’s faire can look forward to 30 featured performers, who will perform acts on two stages, with additional lane performers walking throughout the park, which helps to set the atmosphere. There will also be 110 vendors present, each selling a variety of themed goods.
The faire will be opened by Florence Mayor Andy Betterton in the stead of William Jordan, who used to open the faire every year and has recently passed away. According to Freemon, there will be a special surprise during the opening ceremony, so members of the community are encouraged to attend the ceremony at 12:30 on Saturday.
The monarch of the faire, selected at random during the feast of the year before, gets to suggest themes for the faire. This year’s king, Sanay Kumar, also known as His Royal Highness Ricardo RaVeer Singh, is of Indian descent, and the faire will contain special Indian touches to honor him.
Something that Freemon highly recommends for community members to attend are the closing ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday night at 6 p.m. All of the musicians at the faire will come together to perform, along with a fire-spinner.
Those who enjoy the faire and want to aid in its continuation for years to come are encouraged to volunteer for the Roundtable. Meetings start back on the third Thursday in January each year. For more information, reach out to [email protected].
