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November 9, 2026 – ‘Great American Freethought Songbook’ Finale (Madison, Wis. and live-streamed)
Photo by Chris Line
The Freedom From Religion Foundation concert series finale on Monday, Nov. 9!
“The Great American Freethought Songbook with Dan & Darcie” (approximately one hour in duration), presented before a live audience in Madison, Wis., will be live-streamed starting at 7 p.m. CDT on FFRF’s Facebook page, YouTube channel and Freethought TV, FFRF’s free streaming service for smart TVs and other devices. (It’s easy and free to download) The show will be available to watch afterward on YouTube and Freethought TV at your convenience.
The seven-month concert series celebrates major figures of the Great American Songbook and their secular viewpoints.
The monthly series is hosted by FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, a veteran pianist and freethinker, alongside Madison vocalist Darcie Johnston. Through live performances and historical commentary, they examine the stories behind some of the nation’s most enduring songs while highlighting the secular and freethinking ideas that influenced many of their creators.
The concert series finale will feature a medley of nonreligious 20th-century songwriters, including Jay Gorney, Burton Lane, Tom Lehrer, Frank Loesser, Thelonious Monk, Stephen Sondheim and Charles Strouse.
If you missed earlier installments, you may catch them now on YouTube or look for them in Freethought TV’s archive. If you live in the Madison area, you may RSVP at ffrf.us/RSVP-Concerts.
Monday, November 9, 2026 ( RSVP by Thursday, November 5 ) (Please only RSVP if you are able to attend in person)
Charlie Brooks Auditorium
Freethought Hall, Madison, Wis.
6:15 – 6:45 p.m. Doors open. Refreshments served: Wine, non-alcoholic beverages, cheese, crackers, desserts.
6:50 Please be seated. (Concert is being video-recorded and live-streamed.)
7 – 8ish Concert begins and is recorded.
Invite your family, friends and colleagues!
Free street parking after 6 p.m. Close to Overture Center parking ramp, 318 West Mifflin St.
November 19–21, 2026 – Dan Barker to Speak at 4th Latin American Freethought Meeting (Costa Rica)
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is pleased to announce Co-President, Dan Barker, will be a featured speaker at the 4th Latin American Freethought Meeting (“Encuentro Latinoamericano de Librepensamiento”), taking place Nov. 19–21, 2026, in Costa Rica.
The international gathering will be held at the National University of Costa Rica (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, UNA), with the opening session scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Clodomiro Picado Twight Auditorium. The three-day event will bring together freethinkers, secular activists and human rights advocates from across Latin America and beyond.
Centered on the theme “Ideas without borders, thought without limits, secularism and human rights,” the conference aims to foster dialogue on the importance of freethought, the defense of secular governance and the advancement of individual liberties throughout the region.
Barker, a longtime state/church activist, author and former evangelical minister, will join other speakers in addressing the role of secularism in protecting fundamental rights and promoting critical thinking. As co-president of Freedom From Religion Foundation, Barker has represented the organization at events worldwide, advocating for the separation of religion and government and the rights of nonbelievers.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based national nonprofit organization with more than 40,000 members, dedicated to upholding the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism.
The Latin American Freethought Meeting is open to the public, and organizers encourage participation from individuals interested in secularism, human rights and free inquiry.
For more information about the event, including registration and schedule details, please visit the conference website: https://piensalibre.lat
January 12-13, 2027 – FFRF Co-Presidents to speak to Fredericksburg Religious Freedom Alliance (Fredericksburg, VA)
The Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker will speak at the 250th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson’s Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, which will be celebrated there on Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 12–13, 2027 as part of Fredericksburg Religious Freedom Week, January 9-16, 2027. Also speaking will be Americans United Executive Director Rachel Laser.
Both presentations will be in the theater/auditorium of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, on Caroline Street, called the Three Freedoms Corner. The auditorium is close to the site where, in 1777, Jefferson outlined his Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom; where, in 1862 to 1863, thousands of men, women, and children self-emancipated behind Union Army lines; and where in 1960, high school students peacefully staged sit-ins and desegregated the lunch counters.
Download this powerpoint to view a small glimpse of these layers of history.
February 27, 2027 – FFRF Action Fund’s Mickey Dollens to Speak at FreeFlo Conference (Altamonte Springs, Fla.)
Mickey Dollens, Regional Governmental Affairs Manager for the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s Action Fund, will speak at the FreeFlo Conference on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027, in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Dollens’ presentation will examine efforts by Christian nationalists to expand religion’s influence in public schools, including Ten Commandments displays, school chaplain programs and initiatives such as LifeWise Academy. He will also explore the history of evangelical ministries using youth and amateur sports to proselytize, raising questions about the boundaries between personal faith and religious pressure in athletics.
The session will address how parents and advocates can recognize and respond to religious indoctrination, manipulation and disinformation affecting students.
The event will take place at the Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs, located at 350 Northlake Blvd., Altamonte Springs, FL 32701.
For more information about the conference, including registration details and the speaker line up, visit the FreeFlo website today!
