Alabama's Official RenFaire
Alabama Renaissance Faire
Programs and Community Outreach
The Alabama Renaissance Faire partners with the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library and the University of North Alabama to present our annual "Cast a Long Shadow" Lecture Series. Our mission statement is to educate about the Medieval and Renaissance Eras through entertainment. The rebirth of learning during the Renaissance "Cast a Long Shadow" that we still celebrate today through our community outreach programs.
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The Lecture Series takes place from 2 p.m' - 3 p.m. on three Sundays in October at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library on Wood Avenue in Florence, Alabama.
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2023 Lecture Series
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Note the change of date, time, and venue for Lecture #1
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The Alabama Renaissance Faire is partnering with the Shoals Symphony for the first lecture (Sunday the 8th) at Norton Auditorium on Pine Street, Florence, AL. Alabama Renaissance Faire Roundtable members will attend the Shakespeare concert that afternoon at 3 pm in Medieval/Renaissance garb, so the lecture will be held in the choir room at 1 pm. The other two lectures will be held in the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library colonnade at 2 pm.
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Sunday, Oct. 8, 1 pm, Norton Auditorium's choir room: Dr. Carl Franks of UNA's English Dept: "Shakespeare's Supernatural: Fairies, Ghosts, and Witches." Dr. Franks will discuss fairies, ghosts and witches from several of Shakespeare's plays such as Macbeth, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest.
Sunday, October 15, 2 pm, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library colonnade: Dr. Nancy Atkinson of UNA's English Dept.: "The Secrets of Margaret Clitherow." Lady Margaret, known as "the Pearl of York," the stepdaughter of the Lord Mayor of York, Henry May, was an English Catholic who was martyred in 1586 for harboring Catholic priests.
Sunday, October 22, 2 pm, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library colonnade: Dr. Ben Lowe of UNA's History Dept.: "'For Fear He Turn them Out': Burn-Marks and Popular Magic in Tudor England". Dr. Lowe will examine Tudor superstitions and popular magic used to trap or ward off evil spirits.
2022 Lecture Topics:
2021 Lecture Topics
