Fall Festivals

Fall !Festivals? Fall !Festivals?

by Hunter Morrison

It’s that time of the year again. The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling and you no longer burst into an undeniable sweat the second you step out your front door. That’s right, fall is finally here. It

wouldn’t truly be the harvest season without there being an abundance of fall festivals for you to attend. Fortunately, Pensacola and surrounding areas will be hosting a handful of COVID-19 safe fall-related festivals for all to enjoy this November. So kick back, make yourself a pumpkin spice latte, put on a jacket and celebrate the season as we ring in these fall festivities.

Whether you’re a shopaholic, a music lover or a foodie, the Pensacola area has an abundance of fall festivals for all to attend and enjoy this November. What better way to celebrate the season than by supporting your local community? With that said, only come out to these events if you are well enough to do so. If you plan on attending any fall festival event, please be sure to do your part to help keep everyone safe. We hope to see you at these fun, and most importantly safe, events this November!

Harvest Market at Seville Square Parents, grab the kids, for Harvest Market at Seville Square will be coming to downtown Pensacola on Nov. 28. Hosted by Orange Beach Breeze, the Harvest Market will feature various activities including pumpkin patch decorating, a bounce house and live entertainment from JDVtheBassist and the Chill Beach Band. Raffle prizes will also be available. “The Harvest Market will be a simpler event, so we’ll have about five food trucks and the rest will be tent vendors,” Christie Sachse, event coordinator for Orange Beach Breeze said. The Harvest Market is a free family-friendly event that will run from 9 am–4 pm. A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to the Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information on the Harvest Market or the 2020 Food Truck Fest, visit orangebeachbreeze.com.

NATIONAL BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION

Odd Colony Brewing Company Fall Bazaar The first-ever Fall Bazaar is coming to Odd Colony Brewing Company in downtown Pensacola. This event will showcase local vendors that will be selling original art, thrifted items, jewelry and other home good items. A fun fall-themed photo booth will be available and live music from solo artist will also be featured at the Fall Bazaar. Pensacola’s very own Volume One Salon will be offering donation-based services to guests. All proceeds from these services will go to charity. Treats from the Le Dough food truck will also be offered from 11 am–3 pm. The Fall Bazaar event will be a combination of an indoor and outdoor function. “We’re trying to be as mindful of COVID as possible,” Beth Schweigert, event coordinator and curator, said. “We’ll have hand sanitizer at every station, and we’ll be cleaning throughout the whole event.” The Fall Bazaar is a free event and will be held on Nov. 15 from 11 am-6 pm. For more information about this event, please email beth@oddcolony.com or visit Odd Colony Brewing’s Facebook page.

First City Lights Festival Experience the wonder of the holiday season this fall and winter at the First City Lights Festival. This event will showcase half a million twinkling lights on historic Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola for all to enjoy. The festivities begin with a lighting ceremony on Nov. 27, but will continue throughout the entire holiday season. “We work with a company to get Christmas lights put up and as many trees as possible up and down Palafox,” Walker Wilson, executive director of the Downtown Improvement Board, said. The festival will also offer Polar Express tours, a downtown trolly ride with fake snow landscapes that will immerse you in the story of the Polar Express. The trolly rides will begin on Nov. 27 and 28. All trolly riders must wear a mask during the duration of the tour. Santa Claus will also be at the First City Lights Festival starting opening weekend and every weekend leading up to Christmas Day. For more information on the First City Lights Festival, go to visitpensacola.com.

Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival If you’re a music lover, the Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival may be for you. Known for being the oldest songwriting festival in the country, the Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival honors many unsung heroes of the music business. “The people who end up recording the songs get all of the glory, but a great percentage of the time the guy or gal that wrote the songs are behind the scenes,” Andy Haynes, event coordinator of the festival, said. “We want to bring them out of the shadows and into the spotlight.” The Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival hosts songwriters from all over the world. This year, the festival invited about 100 songwriters who are scheduled to play in numerous venues across the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast. In Pensacola, the festival plans to have performances from songwriters at Seville Quarter. The festival is scheduled for Nov. 11–15, and most venues do not charge an entrance fee. For more information about the Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival, visit frankbrownsongwriters.com.

Pensacola Seafood Festival A Pensacola tradition for 43 years and counting, the Pensacola Seafood Festival is coming to Seville Square and Fountain Park on Nov. 6, 7 and 8. This event will feature arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment from local bands and, of course, delicious seafood. In addition to its traditional seafood vendors, the Pensacola Seafood Festival will feature vendors from locally-owned seafood restaurants. The event will also showcase arts and crafts from 75 different vendors. “Our arts and crafts vendors vary from paintings and photography to gourmet items, jewelry, outdoor items, novelty items, items for pets and items for children,” Margaret-Anne West, event coordinator of the Pensacola Seafood Festival, said. “There is a wide variety of vendors that will be there.” Enhanced sanitization procedures will be taken to keep everyone safe. Sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the festival grounds, and all food vendors will be required to wear masks and gloves. It is recommended that guests also wear masks, but it is not required. Admission to the Pensacola Seafood Festival is free and the event will take place from 11 am–11 pm on Friday, 10 am–11 pm on Saturday and 11 am–5 pm on Sunday. For more information about the Pensacola Seafood Festival, visit pensacolaseafoodfestival.com.

Food Truck Festival Foodies beware, the 2020 Food Truck Fest is coming to Community Maritime Park in downtown Pensacola. Hosted by Orange Beach Breeze, this event will showcase numerous vendors from throughout the Pensacola area. “We’re really excited that Pensacola finally let off the restrictions of fifty and under for events,” Christie Sachse, event coordinator for the 2020 Food Truck Fest said. “We’ll probably have around twenty food truck vendors and twenty tent vendors.” In addition to food vendors, the festival will also offer a culinary competition, bounce houses for the kids and live entertainment from The HooDoos and the Chill Beach Band. The 2020 Food Truck Fest will be on Nov. 14 from 11 am–6 pm. Admission is $2 and kids under 12 get in for free. A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to Feeding the Gulf Coast.