CHARITY/Corri La Vita
September 30
Starting point: Cascine Park
Keep your eyes peeled for purple T-shirts on September 30, or wear one yourself to help in the fight against breast cancer: Corri La Vita, now in its 16th edition, is one of the Florentine year’s definitive community events, a footrace not just for avid runners, but for families, schools, work organizations and all those interested in supporting the cause. This community-over-competition spirit will be on full display at this year’s closing ceremony, which for the first time will recognize schools, associations, sports groups and businesses with the highest participation, in addition to individual winners in the men’s and women’s divisions. Per tradition, runners and walkers wearing the T-shirt will have free access to select museums and exhibitions on race day. Registration is open on www.corrilavita.it.
TECH/Wired Next Fest
September 28-30
Palazzo Vecchio, piazza della Signoria, Florence
It’s a Wired weekend at Palazzo Vecchio: the top-tier tech publication will host the third Florentine edition of Wired Next Fest, this year with “Simplicity” as its theme. In a year marked by big-data scandals and a certain social media giant’s fall from grace, the aim of this new edition is to highlight how technological innovation, smart data practices and artificial intelligence can make life and work easier and more straightforward. Numerous Italian and international guests from the tech, media, entertainment and publishing worlds are among the speakers: particularly noteworthy is Terry Gilliam, film director and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe, who will speak in the Salone dei Cinquecento (3.30pm, September 29). All events are free, but registration is required; see nextfest.wired.it for details.
SPORT/Firenze Tennis Cup
September 29-October 7
Circolo Tennis Firenze, Cascine Park, Florence
Florence’s tennis hub in the heart of the Cascine will soon celebrate its 120th anniversary with the Firenze Tennis Cup Trofeo Toscana Aeroporti ATP Challenger. Emerging talents from the Italian and international scenes will compete in a venue that’s solidified its status as a training ground for major tennis stars (past players at the Circolo have included Jennifer Capriati and Roger Federer, among others). Beyond being an incubator for the next generation of athletes, Firenze Tennis Cup will also be a festive nod to its host venue’s impressive history: the Circolo was the first in Italy to let women compete (1902) and a key force in the development of the Federazione Italiana Tennis (from 1910 forward). For more information and tickets, see www.firenzetenniscup.com.
PLUS
Week two of The Cleaner is underway at Palazzo Strozzi. Get an inside look at the exhibition here.
Florence Gospel Choir, directed by Nehemiah H. Brown, will pay tribute to the Aretha Franklin in a concert/spoken word performance/Evensong service with guests Brenda Brown Groom and Eusebio De Cristofaro (September 30, 6.30pm, via de’ Benci 9).
