Florence, Alabama

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.

"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  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

Shoals Storytelling Festival