|
Arts & Museums
Annual Festivals
& Events
| Arts
Alive Arts Alive is a project of the
Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts Volunteers, and was
started in 1986.
Arts Alive attracts hundreds of art and
craft lovers from a three-state region and beyond. Wilson Park
in downtown Florence is packed with people for two days as
they stroll, meet the artists, and purchase.
Arts Alive is a family event,
and families flock to the Park to participate!
Arts Alive Website
|
 |
| |
|
| The Alabama
Renaissance Faire
Held
annually during the fourth weekend in October at Wilson Park
in downtown Florence. Are you in Florence, Alabama in
the 21st century,
or Florence, Italy in the Middle Ages?
This educational
event re-creates the atmosphere of an authentic medieval
renaissance faire. Participants dress in authentic, period
costumes. Arts & crafts, wandering minstrels, magicians, and
chamber singers are also part of the festivities, as you step
back in time.
Alabama Renaissance Faire Website
|
 |
| |
|
| The
Spirit of Freedom Celebration
Held annually on July 4th at
McFarland Park in Florence. Thousands of people gather each
year to enjoy live music from some of the biggest names in the
music business, family fun, and various other activities.
The celebration concludes with
an impressive fireworks show illuminating the beautiful
Tennessee River. The fireworks show is one of the largest in
the Tennessee Valley.
|
 |
| |
|
Frontier Days
Step back
into the past at the annual Frontier Day Celebration at
historic Pope's Tavern Museum in Florence, held on the first
full weekend of June. This outdoor event celebrates the
frontier heritage of Florence with crafts, music, and
costumes typical of the period. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. on Saturday, and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission is free.
According
to curator, Jo Parkhurst, "It's a fun event for the whole
family. It provides education as well as entertainment." The
Celebration includes dulcimer music and educational
demonstrations of arts and crafts by artisans in costume.
Many of the
crafts are available for sale. Come enjoy music by the
Shoals Dulcimer and Folk Music Association as you see basket
weaving, chair caning, quilting, wool spinning, pottery
making, wood carving, broom making, and much more. Walk
through Pope's Tavern Museum free during the hours of the
Celebration to complete your voyage back in time.
Pope's
Tavern Museum is located at the corner of Hermitage Drive
and Seminary Street. For more information, call Jo Parkhurst
at the museum, (256) 760-6439. Museum programs are made
possible, in part, by a grant from the Alabama State Council
on the Arts. Sponsored by the Florence Department of Arts
and Museums.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Trail
of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride
The Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride is held
annually on the third Saturday of September. The ride
begins in Chattanooga, Tennessee and ends in Waterloo,
Alabama.
The event includes the "Largest Organized
Motorcycle Ride in the South", with as many as 10,000
participants in this historic event to honor the many Native
Americans who perished and suffered as a result of the
Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Trail of Tears Commemorative Web-Site
|
 |
| |
|
Trail of Tears Remembrance Motorcycle Ride
The Trail of Tears Remembrance Motorcycle Ride is held
annually on the third Saturday of September. The ride
begins in Chattanooga, Tennessee and ends in Florence,
Alabama.
The event includes the "Largest Organized
Motorcycle Ride in the South", with as many as 10,000
participants in this historic event to honor the many Native
Americans who perished and suffered as a result of the
Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Trail of Tears Remembrance Web-Site
|
 |
| |
|
|
The W.C. Handy Music Festival
Held the
last full week of July throughout the Shoals. It is the
largest of all of the area festivals. The annual event, named in honor of W.C.
Handy, Alabama's "Father of the Blues", features blues, jazz,
and gospel music, educational events, coordinated art shows,
athletic events, street parties, great food, and much more.
Some of the favorite events of the Festival include Handy
Nights at local restaurants and outdoor concerts at parks
throughout the Shoals. Some events require admission, but
most are free. The event attracts an estimated 150,000
annually. W.
C. Handy Music Festival Web-Site |
 |
|
|
