Festival season is here: Check out Pensacola's biggest festivals for the rest of the year
The Pensacola Seafood Festival may have wrapped up but the festivities are only beginning.
Now until the end of the year, Pensacola will have a whole host of festivals happening that celebrate everything from local art and wine to dragon boat racing and Santa Claus coming to town.
Here’s what’s on tap until we hit 2023.
Need brunch ideas?: You can't go wrong with any of these 12 spots.
Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival
When: Nov. 4-6
Where: Seville Square
The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is one of Pensacola’s biggest events of the year and is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2022. It’s located in Downtown Pensacola’s Historic Seville Square.
Art is the festival’s biggest draw, showcasing more than 200 painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, graphic artists and more from around the nation. Live woodcarving, engraving, spinning and other demonstrations can be found in the Heritage Arts Area.
The festival teams up with the Artel Gallery to provide a grant opportunity for two emerging artists. And there is a Student Art Show that showcases over 2,000 pieces of art from local elementary, middle and high school students.
Live music can be heard from the main stage and include everything from bluegrass, Cajun and blues to jazz and classical.
And, of course, there is plenty of food to be hand from any of the vendors and surrounding local restaurants.
2022 Pensacola Beach Art & Wine Festival
When: Nov. 13
Where: 400 Quietwater Beach Road
On Nov. 13, the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk will turn into an artist and wine lover’s paradise for the Pensacola Beach Art & Wine Festival. Put on by the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce, patrons can spend Sunday afternoon sampling wines while checking out art from Gulf Coast artists. All in all, there will be about 20 local artists and 30 selections of wines to sample.
8th Annual Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival
When: Oct. 8
Where: Bayview Park
The Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival pits up to 40 teams against each other in dragon boat races in Bayou Texar. A dragon boat is essentially a long, narrow canoe that seats 20 paddlers in 10 rows. At the stern of each boat is a steersperson that uses an oar as a rudder and a drummer sits at the bow of the boat with a drum to help rowers row in unison.
The festival is hosted by SERTOMA with the intent of raising money and supporting community organizations and charities. Thousands of spectators come out to watch the races that occur throughout the day. The races are the main draw but there is a food truck area, too. For more information or to see about participating, visit www.pensacoladragonboatfestival.com.
Beulah Fall Food Truck Festival
When: Oct. 29
Where: Escambia County Equestrian Center, 7750 Mobile Highway
The Beulah Fall Food Truck Festival is back, and will feature food trucks, vendors, live entertainment, raffles and a bounce house. Adult and child Halloween costume contests will take place from noon to 1 p.m. There will also be trick-or-treating at the food trucks and vendor booths. Admission is $5 people; kids 12 and under are free.
Foo Foo Festival
When: Nov. 3-14
Where: Varies
Foo Foo Festival is a 12-day celebration that brings several mini festivals all under one umbrella. The festival has grown over the years and now there are around 31 events that include the Pensacola Big Green Egg Festival, Songwriters Garden, the Frank Brown Songwriters’ Festival and more.
New for this year is the Bubble Alley presented by Friends of Downtown Pensacola. This is the group that brought the Umbrella Sky Project to Pensacola in 2017 and became one of the most photographed events in Pensacola. The new display will suspend thousands of reusable vinyl “bubbles” above Intendencia Street between Jefferson and South Tarragona Street, just outside of Angelena’s.
Below are some festival standouts associated with Foo Foo Festival.
38th annual Frank Brown Songwriters' Festival
When: Nov. 3-14
Where: Varies
The Frank Brown Songwriters’ Festival has been a musical staple in Pensacola for decades and part of Foo Foo Fest from the very beginning. It’s a love project brought together by the founders and organizers to showcase the best musicians the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast have to offer. There are hundreds of artists who will perform throughout the 12-day festival at locations throughout Pensacola. Time, admission and location vary for each performance. Check out the full schedule here: https://www.frankbrownsongwriters.com/SONGWRITERS-FESTIVAL-CALENDAR
Pensacola Maker Faire
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 12
Where: Multiple locations
Dubbed by the festival as the “greatest show and tell on Earth," the Maker Faire gives engineers, artists, scientists and crafters space to show off their creations. There are over 100 makers from the Pensacola and surrounding area that will present their projects at multiple locations.
Pensacola Big Green Egg Festival
When: Noon, Nov. 13
Where: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Pensacola Big Green Egg Fest is a BBQ event that supports local charities and hosts teams and backyard cooks from all over the U.S. to cook up delicious barbecue. Hosted at the Blue Wahoos Stadium, attendees can sample bites from all competing teams. Craft beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks are available, too. General admission tickets are $25 until Sept. 30, $35 in October and $45 from Nov. 2 to the day-of.
Stamped: LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
When: Nov. 10-13
Where: Pensacola Little Theatre
The Stamped LGBTQIA+ Film Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary and its biggest event yet. The multi-day festival represents diverse groups within the LGBTQIA+ family by highlighting artistic contributions on a national and international level.
On Sunday, the festival will hold a "family day" that shows films appropriate for all ages and includes children's activities like face painting, balloon art, kids snacks and more.
Visit https://www.foofoofest.com/2022-events/ to see the full list of events and all the details.
Winterfest
When: Nov. 20
Where: 223 S. Palafox St.
Winterfest is an interactive Christmas celebration that kicks off Nov. 20 and runs until just before Christmas Day. The celebration consists of a series of trolley tours that run through Pensacola and are themed after popular Christmas stories like The Grinch, Polar Express and Scrooge. Kids can also have their photo taken with Grinch and Santa while they enjoy fake snow and dance with their favorite characters in preshow events that are free and open to the public at Winterfest plaza. Ticket prices vary. Visit https://pensacolawinterfest.org/ for more information.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola festivals in 2022: The biggest festivals to look forward to
