Find Your Foo Foo
by Morgan Cole & Kelly Oden
FOO FOO FEST RETURNS FOR 12-DAYS 12 -DAYS OF ARTS, CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT Foo Foo Festival, Pensacola’s two-week arts and culture extravaganza, is back for its eighth year, and this year’s celebration of all things creative promises to be one for the ages. Kicking off November 3 and running through November 14, the annual Foo Foo Fest is spearheaded and coordinated by local nonprofit Arts, Culture and Entertainment, Inc. (more widely known as ACE). The event serves as an umbrella for many of the city’s existing annual cultural events or performances that typically occur in the fall, as well as providing an opportunity for newer events to contribute to the cultural landscape of Pensacola. Foo Foo Festival board chair Maria Goldberg is excited about the volume, diversity and quality of the events being presented as part of this year’s Foo Foo Fest, “The great thing about Foo Foo, is that it’s different every year,” Goldberg said. “There’s a little something for everybody, and this year will be no different. In fact, this year, we were able to award more grants than we have in any previous year.” For 2022, ACE awarded more than $400,000 in Foo Foo Fest grants to 12 local arts and culture organizations, whose events and performances will serve as anchors to the 12 days of Foo Foo Fest events. In addition to the featured events, this year’s Foo Foo Fest committee has also invited other nonprofit and for-profit entities to take part in the event as a “Friend of Foo.”
Nonprofits or local for-profit businesses such as hoteliers, restaurants and bars who are interested in participating, and whose events meet the cultural mission of Foo Foo Fest, were invited to apply for the designation, providing them inclusion on the official event website as well as on advertising and promotional materials for the festival. From spectacular symphonies and timeless operas to bluegrass and funk and from pop art, high fashion and fine art to improvisational comedy, immersive theatre and the finest air show in the world, Foo Foo Fest 2022 truly offers something for everyone. Our DTC staff and editors have rounded up details on some of our favorite new and returning events to help you plan your 12 days of Foo Foo fun. To view the complete lineup of scheduled events, visit foofoofest.com and be sure to check out @FooFooFest on Facebook and Instagram for special announcements and updates on newly-added events.
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