Ten years ago, the idea was fairly simple: bring Shakespeare outdoors to Rome.

This year, somebody apparently decided simple was overrated.

The Rome Shakespeare Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary September 23–27 with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, its first Renaissance Fayre, its first Shakespeare River Run 5K and a full weekend of activities built around one of Shakespeare’s most magical comedies. The festival remains free to the public.

A Little Magic in the Woods

A Midsummer Night’s Dream brings together young lovers, feuding fairies, amateur actors and one fellow who rather famously winds up with the head of a donkey. This version is a musical with Lyrics by founder Gale Deschamps and composed by Rome's own Ryan Ward.

Performances are scheduled Wednesday through Saturday, September 23–26, at 7:30 p.m. Tables will be available beginning at 6 p.m. for those who want to settle in early and enjoy the evening before the show. The festival wraps with a special 5:30 p.m. Sunday performance on September 27 as part of Family Day.

Welcome to the Renaissance

For the anniversary year, Shakespeare gets some company.

The festival’s first Renaissance Fayre runs Saturday and Sunday, September 26–27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., adding another layer to the weekend celebration. Sunday also becomes Family Day, with activities beginning in the morning and continuing through the final performance.

Run Like Puck Is Chasing You

Sunday begins at 9 a.m. with the inaugural Shakespeare River Run 5K, starting at the Town Green, followed by a Family 1-Mile Walk at 9:30 a.m. A winners ceremony follows at 10:30 a.m. at Bridgepoint Plaza.

 Later activities include a Midsummer workshop, chainsaw sculptor Jeremy Smith and a performance by KnightSong before the evening production.

Parking is available in the Third Avenue and Sixth Avenue parking decks as well as the Grain Craft lot in the Cotton Block, and the festival says the parking decks are free for festivalgoers. A Roman Chariot shuttle will also be available from parking areas.

Ten years in, this has grown well beyond an evening of Shakespeare.

It has become one of those weekends when downtown Rome gets to put on a costume, stay out a little later and remind us why we don’t always have to drive somewhere else to find something worth seeing.