10 minute read
Find Your Foo Foo
by Morgan Cole & Kelly Oden
FOO FOO FEST RETURNS FOR 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.
MODA, PRESENTED BY PENSACOLA OPERA
Date: November 3 from 6 pm to 8 pm Location: Vinyl Music Hall Tickets: $125 for VIP Experience and $50 for General Admission
Join Pensacola Opera for this premiere fall fashion event where professional models will strut the catwalk to the beat of a stylishly syncopated DJ. Designs by some of the world’s premier fashion houses, with looks curated by former New York fashion designer Julia Ussery of Scout Boutique, will be presented. Tickets are available online at pensacolaopera.com, over the phone by calling (850) 433-6737 or in-person at the Pensacola Opera Center (75 S Tarragona Street).
38TH ANNUAL FRANK BROWN SONGWRITERS’ FESTIVAL
Date: November 3 through 13, times vary Location: Multiple venues Tickets: Vary by performance & venue
The 38th annual Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival will feature nationally acclaimed songwriters in venues along the Florida-Alabama Gulf Coast. The festival is an opportunity for seasoned and aspiring songwriters and musicians from all over the world to have their songs heard, and for the public to learn the stories behind the lyrics that only the song’s author can express. For event details and to view the complete lineup of events, visit frankbrownsongwriters.com.
MULTIMEDIA ARTWORK BY TRA BOUSCAREN
Date: November 3 through 4; November 7 through 11 Location: Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts at Pensacola State College Tickets: Free
Artist Tra Bouscaren is creating a multimedia artwork specifically constructed for the Lamar Studio in the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts at Pensacola State College. Bouscaren is an artist focused on the American spectacle at the crossroads of waste culture and the surveillance state. Bouscaren is currently an Assistant Professor of Art and the Digital Media Area Head at Florida State University.
THE 50TH ANNUAL GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL
Dates: November 4 through 5 from 9 am to 5 pm; November 6 from 9 am to 4 pm Location: Seville Square Tickets: Free
THE 11TH ANNUAL MAHABHUTA YOGA VEGFEST
Date: November 12 Location: Margaritaville Beach Hotel, Pensacola Beach Tickets: Free and ticketed events; prices vary
The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is one of the most popular arts festivals in the United States, and 2022 marks the 50th Anniversary of this local gem. The three-day, juried art show draws more than 200 of the nation’s best painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, graphic artists, craftsmen and other artists. The festival also includes live music, heritage arts, a children’s art area and delicious dining options.
NAS PENSACOLA BLUE ANGELS HOMECOMING AIR SHOW
Dates: November 11 & 12, Gates open at 8 am, Show begins at 9:30 am Location: NAS Pensacola Tickets: Free The Mahabhuta Yoga VegFest celebrates vegan food, yoga, dance, breath, meditation, nature, music, art and community. In addition to yoga workshops and classes, the outdoor event features food vendors, an artisan village, concerts, Galactic Child Yoga, flow arts presenters, performers and sand art installations.
NAS Pensacola is pleased to announce the NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show with the theme of “100 Years of Carrier Aviation.” The NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show is one of Pensacola’s largest events, attracting between 150,000180,000 spectators during this two-day event. There is an incredible lineup of aerobatic performers, along with Pensacola’s very own Blue Angels.
PENSACOLA BIG GREEN EGGFEST
Date: November 13 Location: Blue Wahoo Stadium Tickets: $25-$40 General Admission & $75-$90 VIP
Pensacola Big Green EggFest is a family friendly charity BBQ event that hosts teams and backyard cooks from all over the United States who share two things: a love of cooking and the joy of giving back to their communities. Attendees
sample bites from all the competing teams and the Blue Wahoo’s staff will be serving up a wide variety of craft beers, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. The event is absolutely family-friendly. Since 2013, more than $500,000 has been donated to local charities from Pensacola EggFest.
UNREQUITED, PRESENTED BY PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE
Dates: October 28 through November 9 (performances at 7 pm, 8 pm & 9 pm) Location: The Clark Family Center, downtown Pensacola Tickets: $50 each
Fusing the haunting halls of The Center with the vibrant storytelling of one of William Shakespeare’s most beloved love stories, Pensacola Little Theatre will take the concept of escapism from the beloved New York City-inspired Sleep No More and bring it here to our community. Based on William Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, Unrequited is an immersive theatrical event: dance with the Capulets in their grand ballroom, dodge the Montagues on the streets of Verona and be a part of a thrilling affair. Tickets include sips and snacks throughout the tour. You must be 21+ to attend (for mature audiences only).
PENSACOLA BUBBLE ALLEY
Dates: November 3 through November 14 (throughout Foo Foo Fest) Location: Intendencia Street, downtown Pensacola Tickets: FREE
When the Friends of Downtown Pensacola brought the Umbrella Sky Project to Pensacola and the US in 2017, it became the most successful new event in the history of the Foo Foo Festival. This extraordinary response is the reason that the Friends of Downtown decided to design a new aerial public art display for Foo Foo 2022. Pensacola Bubble Alley will offer a colorful and unique visual experience for Pensacola to enjoy, share, photograph, and be proud of. Pensacola Bubble Alley will suspend several thousand reusable vinyl “bubbles” high above Intendencia Street (between Jefferson and S. Tarragona Streets— just outside of Angelena’s Restaurant) in downtown Pensacola throughout the Foo Foo Festival.
VANDALS TO VANGUARDS
Dates: November 4 through November 6 & November 8 through November 11 Times: Tues. - Sat. from 10 am to 4 pm & Sun. from 12 pm to 4 pm Location: Pensacola Museum of Art (and other) Tickets: FREE with Reservations
On view at the Pensacola Museum of Art from November 4, 2022 (w/ FREE admission during Foo Foo Fest Nov. 4-11), to January 8, 2023, the Vandals to Vanguards exhibition explores the evolution of pop art and street art through works from the museum’s collection and loans from local collectors. Occupying the museum’s entire second floor, the exhibition will feature contemporary masterpieces by pop favorites like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring alongside current notorious street artists like Banksy and Mr. Brainwash. The majority of the artworks on view will come from the collection of Lewis and Belle Bear, who fell in love with the playful and colorful work of the pop and street art movements many years ago. A longtime supporter of local arts organizations, Lewis always enjoyed collecting artwork but didn’t have a strong direction until he discovered the manylayered relationships between artists like Warhol, Haring, and Mr. Brainwash.
PMA ART FACTORY NIGHT
Date: November 10 from 6 pm to 9 pm Location: Vinyl Music Hall Tickets: Free Admission, Reservations Required
On the following Thursday, November 10th, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. the PMA aims to bring the vibe and cultural context of these artworks to life through an event at Vinyl Music Hall that merges music, video projections, live street art demos, and interactive silkscreen printmaking. This will include participatory experiences for the public to print their own t-shirt, tote bag, or band poster using custom designs by a local artist. The PMA will facilitate the creation of the printed items, working with event attendees throughout the duration of the event. As a connection to the well-known Warhol soup cans, the PMA will also be collecting canned food donations to benefit Manna Food Pantries at the event.
Date: November 8 at 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm) Location: Pensacola Saenger Theatre Tickets: Starting at $29 (+ applicable fees)
The University of West Florida and The Frank Brown International Foundation for Music–in sponsorship with Foo Foo Fest– present Music City HitMakers: The Songs, Their Stories, A Symphony. Professionally produced by Music City Hit Makers and 4Strings Entertainment, the show is part storytelling, part comedy and mostly, unforgettable acoustic symphonic performances of hit songs. The show will feature hit Nashville songwriters Jon Nite, Rivers Rutherford and Brett James performing at the historic Pensacola Saenger Theatre. The trio will perform their famous hits alongside the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. Performers will be offering acoustic performances of songs they wrote for some of country music’s most notable stars, reimagined for the symphony.
Date: November 12 at 6 pm Location: Pensacola Saenger Theatre Tickets: Start at $25
In celebration of its 40th Anniversary Season, and through grant support from Pensacola’s Foo Foo Festival, Pensacola Opera proudly presents Forty Forward: Celebrating Four Decades of Opera in Pensacola. The evening will feature 16 thrilling vocalists alongside the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, who will present an unparalleled one-night-only gala concert, honoring the history of musical storytelling in Pensacola while looking forward to the bright future of Pensacola Opera. Featuring some of the greatest arias, ensembles, and choruses from the operatic repertoire, Forty Forward will also showcase Pensacola’s proud reputation as a true arts community, including collaborations with the Choral Society of Pensacola, the Pensacola Children’s Chorus and Ballet Pensacola.
STAMPED LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL
Date: November 10 through November 13 (times vary) Location: Pensacola Little Theatre Tickets: Free & ticketed events
Stamped is back for Foo Foo Festival and it’s louder and prouder than ever – celebrating its 10th anniversary with its biggest festival yet. Stamped represents a mixture of every letter of the alphabet – nodding to diverse groups within the LGBTQIA+ family to highlight the artistic contributions both nationally and internationally of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer films and filmmakers. The festival kicks off November 10 with an exclusive evening among some of the LGBTQIA+ community’s favorite visiting artists – from Del Shores, Emerson Collins, Josh Strickland, Fiona Dawson, to Jarvis Derrell and more. Guests will view highly-vetted films from around the globe. The vibrant four-day festival runs Thursday and Friday evenings from 5 pm to 9 pm, and all day on Saturday, concluding with a family-friendly showcase on Sunday with food, games, activities and films running from 1 pm to 3 pm. BallingerPublishing.com 850.443.1166
