Fall-elujah! It finally happened. As I stepped outside this morning, I had to pause to enjoy the slight chill in the air — a crisp 71 degrees. The first official taste of fall. After a brutally hot (and long) summer, this is just what we’ve been needing!
The fall season, especially the month of October, is my favorite time of year — and not just because it’s my birthday month — because it’s all about festive decora tions, pumpkin carving, fall football (go Gators!) and fun Halloween festivities. So, in the spirit of spooky season, we’ve brought you a round up of some of our favorite local Halloween attractions and events. From haunted theaters and ghost hunts to escaping creepy zombies in the dark woods, you’re sure to find some frightful fun to keep you entertained this Halloween.
For this month’s issue, we also had a chance to catch up with popular indie-rock artist, Snail Mail, to learn more about her new album and current U.S. tour before her stop in Pensacola on October 15 at The Handlebar. Be sure to check out our exclusive Q&A with her on page 12.
We’ve also brought you the scoop on the Pensacola Humane Society’s upcoming Barktoberfest, the Pensac ola Ice Flyers’ return to the Hangar for their upcoming season and more. As always, we hope you enjoy read ing this month’s issue.
Stay spooky and until next time, Cheers!
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DOWNTOWN CROWD is published by Ballinger Publishing. Offices located at 21 E. Garden St., Ste. 205 Pensacola, FL 32502
Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Right Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing. © 2022
Follow us on Social Media @DowntownCrowd Publisher Malcolm Ballinger Owner Malcolm Ballinger Executive Editor Kelly Oden Editor Morgan Cole Assistant Editor Nicole Willis Art Director Ian Lett
12-day celebration of culturally creative happenings, events, and moments under one banner.
Local makeup artist, esthetician and entrepreneur, Jo Rich is the owner and operator of Jo Rich Beauty in downtown Pensacola, where she provides esthetic services, including permanent makeup, lash lifts and extensions, skincare procedures, professional and special effects (SFX) makeup services and more. When it comes to professional makeup services, Jo Rich serves a wide variety of clients, ranging from brides and models to cosplayers and halloween party attendees.
Rich enjoys practicing the more traditional, bridal-style or glam makeup looks, but also specializes in SFX makeup. Rich’s skillset in the art of makeup is diverse; one day she can be found doing soft, bridal makeup for someone’s big day, and the next, you might find her turning someone into a zombie! Whether you’re dressing up for Halloween or need someone to help you create the perfect look for an upcoming event, Rich and her team have the skills and tools to make it happen. View more of her work or book an appointment at jorichbeauty.com or check out @JoRichBeauty on Instagram.
Let’s start with you telling me a little bit about your personal and professional background.
I am originally from Des Moines, Iowa. I moved to Pensacola with my parents in 1998 and fell in love with the area, so I decided to stay after high school. I started college in 2002, but didn’t actually go back and finish until 2015 for my business degree. I knew I always wanted to own my own busi ness, but it wasn’t until the age of 32 that I decided exactly what type of business that would be.
I spent my entire adult career in upper retail management, which is where I learned everything I know about running a business. It wasn’t until 2018 that I really immersed myself in makeup and esthetics and decided to obtain my esthetic license at Cindy Cassady School of Esthetics.
When and how did you first become interested in doing SFX makeup and was this something that you were always interested in? Who or what inspired you to get into SFX makeup?
My journey in SFX makeup started by just doing bridal and
special event makeup. I started out playing around with makeup and using shadowing effects and then slowly taught myself SFX techniques from other famous SFX artists on YouTube. I get a lot of my inspiration from other special effects artists, but also from everyday ordinary things and ideas that I personally have. I love to take something ordinary and turn it into something extraor dinary!
What made you decide to incorporate gore and fantasy SFX makeup into your primarily glam-focused business?
Honestly, I just started working on looks on myself and then clients started calling to see if I could create a look for them for Hallow een. I never thought it would actu ally become something. Before Halloween was even over in 2021, I had clients booking me to complete their looks for Hallow een 2022. It was an unexpected surprise.
Can you tell me about some of the most exciting SFX projects you have worked on? What types of clients do you typically serve?
Most of my work has been predominantly local special effects for Halloween. I was asked to provide my services to David J. Malloney for an ad for the Superbowl in 2020, but was unable to because of COVID. Last year, two of the special effects makeup jobs that I did won local costume contests. We will also be a part of Pensacon 2023.
The work you do is very intricate. How long does SFX makeup typi cally take? What is the largest project or the most time-consuming makeup look that you have worked on?
Normally special effects makeup for just the face takes about two hours. I do have a local art teacher who is coming in to do a full body piece for her class to teach them about art as it pertains to makeup and special effects, this project will take me about four hours. I look forward to doing bigger pieces this year that may take up to five hours.
Now entering their 14th season, the Pensacola Ice Flyers are set to embark on their yearly mission to bring another Southern Professional Hockey League championship back home to the Gulf Coast.
This season, fans will also be treated to numerous theme nights, giveaways and community focused activities throughout the 28-game home schedule. It all begins with the Ice Flyers’ return to the Hangar on October 20 at 7:05 pm for a rare Thursday night season opener against the Huntsville Havoc.
In addition to the many festivities fans have come to expect on opening night, the game also marks the first birthday for Ranger, the Ice Flyers beloved service-dog-intraining. Ranger’s team from Canine
Companions will be on hand to help fans celebrate this special birthday.
The Ice Flyers will then bring back the popular Pink in The Rink Night on October 22 to raise funds for breast cancer research and awareness of local programs. The team will wear special-edition pink jerseys to be auctioned off during and following the game. Replica jerseys will also be available for purchase at both merchandise stands on either side of the Bay Center concourse and through the new Ice Flyers online store at shop.iceflyers.com.
October — Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of
(Pink In The
November — USO Northwest Florida (Veterans
December — Gulf Coast Kids
January — Southern Youth Sports Association (MLK Day Game)
February — Canine Companions
March — Rally Pensacola (Rally Foundation)
“It’s all about the experience for us, and I think our team did a great job of thinking innovatively this off season when it comes to our overall game experience,” Pensacola Ice Flyers Marketing Director Brenden Arney said. “I’m excited to have fans back in the Hangar to show off what all we’ve been working on.”
Just before Halloween, the Ice Flyers will host a Capes and Crowns night on October 29, with the bestdressed young fans taking the ice
during intermission for a costume parade.
Some of the other fan-favorite events will also return to the Hangar this year, with three Military Appreciation Nights, two Small Dog Race Nights, a Mardi Gras Night and the always popular $5 Weekend. “A lot of effort goes into our theme night schedule. This year, we wanted to make sure that we brought back nights that fans love and also bring some new ideas to the table to
ensure that we have something for everyone to enjoy throughout the season,” Arney explained.
Each year, the Ice Flyers also host a Veterans Appreciation Night for their Veterans Day home game. In support of local veterans and to honor the rich military history of the area, the team will host their regular Veterans Appreciation Night on November 11, along with three Military Appreciation Nights on December 30, January 21 and March 25.
In the heart of the holiday season, the team will bring back their annual Thanksgiving Eve game on November 23, a pre-Christmas Eve game on December 12 and the
first ever Monday game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Ice Flyers Community Initiative Night will once again benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida.
In addition to the Community Initiative Night, the Ice Flyers will also launch a new program this year in an effort to increase community involvement. This year, the team has selected a group of local charities and nonprofit organizations to support each month throughout the 2022-23 season. Along with providing multiple fundraising opportunities at each of the games, the team will also donate proceeds earned from the sale of special Ice
Flyers merchandise to each of the designated charities for that month.
“Giving back to the community is huge for our organization. With our new charity of the month initiative, we’re able to use our games and social platforms to help bring awareness to multiple organizations that are making a positive impact in our community,” Arney said.
The first game of the Ice Flyers 2022-23 season will be held October 20 at 7:05 pm at the Pensacola Bay Center. Fans can purchase tickets online on ticketmaster.com or in person at the Pensacola Bay Center Box Office to avoid additional fees. The Ice Flyers offer discounts to eligible military, students and
children for tickets purchased directly through the Pensacola Bay Center Box Office.
For more information about the upcoming season, including single or season tickets, visit the new Ice Flyers website at iceflyers.com or download the Ice Flyers mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play.
DTC: I’m going to start off with prob ably your most asked question, why the name Snail Mail?
LJ: I knew that was gonna be the ques tion! We were playing house shows in Baltimore and DC, sort of just mess ing around. I wasn’t doing the band to pop off. I was in high school and was just wanting to come up with some thing that sounded fun and kind of sounded like what all the other bands in the scene sounded like– just catchy
by Nicole Willis
Ifyou’re into indie-rock, you’ve likely heard the name Snail Mail. Snail Mail is the solo project of guitarist and singer-songwriter, Lindsey Jordan. Known for her unique guitar work and raw lyrics, 23-year-old Jordan has found her place in the indie-rock scene. Despite the name’s connotation, Snail Mail’s rise to fame has been anything but slow. The Maryland-native rose to fame at a young age, releasing her debut album, Lush, a few days before her nineteenth birthday. Lush went on to become criti cally acclaimed, ultimately catapulting Snail Mail into indie-rock stardom.
Jordan is currently touring across the US on her second album, Valentine, released in fall of 2021, where she will make a stop in Pensacola at the newlyrevived Handlebar. We had a chance to catch up with Jordan before her stop in Pensacola to chat about Snail Mail’s origins, the inspiration behind her music, her creative process, musical growth, new music and her current tour.
Whether you’ve been listening to Snail Mail since her early days as an artist, or have just heard some of her music for the first time, you won’t want to miss her upcoming show at The Handlebar in downtown Pensacola on October 15. For tickets and show details, visit thehandlebar850.com. You can follow Jordan on Instagram @snailmail or check out snailmail.band for updates, tour announce ments, merch and more.
little names that you would see on a flier. Alex, the bassist, and I were high school best friends, and we had these little joke songs on Bandcamp. And that was what it [the band] was called, but Snail Male, M-A-L-E. Then I started playing shows solo at first, and I was just like, “Hey, Alex, can I steal this [name]? I feel like it’s catchy.” And then he joined and it was all good.
DTC: Your most recent album, Valen tine, has a different sound from your
first album. They both have distinct vocals and great songwriting, but the production is slightly different. Can you tell me about the production process for both albums?
LJ: Yeah, so Lush was a full live band thing where we were recording it live in a room. Most of the tracks are just us actually playing. I had all these songs that I was writing as we were sort of starting to get shows and go on tours. We were playing them, because
nobody knew who we were— we were just always the opener— so we could play Pristine and all of this stuff when Habit was out. So, [with Lush] we had a really tight situation. It was already sick by the time we got into the studio.
With Valentine, we weren’t touring and we weren’t together as much getting to try things out. The band was in Maryland and I was in New York stuck there during the pandemic. I was doing single tracks and tracking each individ
ual layer, rather than having a live band. Then I started getting really interested in synths, so I was writing a bunch of synth parts and doing all that stuff on my own and then bringing it into the studio and just throwing stuff down. Ray [Snail Mail’s drummer] and Alex [Snail Mail’s bassist] would come in and throw stuff down too. It wasn’t the same thing where we were practicing together and then going into a room and pressing record.
DTC: What inspires your lyrics? Are there specific themes or experiences from your life that have shaped your lyrics and your music more than others?
LJ: Yeah, definitely. I love the discov ery of “growing up” topics like love and getting older and growing. It’s a lot of exploration and trying to figure myself out, diary entry style. Valentine is based on a breakup, really. There are a couple of songs on there that are from the same period of my life, but from different relationships than the one I’m talking about, but Valentine is mostly a pretty crazy breakup record. That experience was definitely big. It was right when COVID had started, so it was a lot of reflecting and yearning. But, now it’s sort of… I mean, I wouldn’t want to give too much away, but I feel like I’m sort of in the process of trying to shift the way that I handle real-life subject matter. The writing is chang ing in a way that I’m excited about. I’m challenging myself to do things a little differently right now.
DTC: How so? How is your new music
going to be a little bit different, or show more maturity than your music in the past?
LJ: I would give you an answer, but I don’t know. I’m working on stuff now, but when I start a record, I usually finish it so differently. I feel like there’s a period where I’m growing a lot. I guess I have conscious goals in my head. My favorite thing about music really is the writing and lyricism. I’m always trying to up the ante for myself in different ways and trying to learn from other people.
DTC: Speaking about new music and learning from others, I saw that you have a new project with Mac DeMarco, releasing a track under the name “peppermint patty.” Can you tell me a little bit more about how you guys met and how this project came to be?
LJ: Yeah, it’s not actually a [serious] project. I spent a lot of time living in his garage during different times of my life and we’re just close friends. We’ve been friends since Snail Mail played Primavera [which is a music festival in Spain]. We met and immediately got along really well. We were hanging in Spain, went to the club, and then just became super close.
One day I was staying in his garage, and we just decided to write a bunch of songs. That song is the only one that’s gonna come out. I just thought it’d be funny and I definitely thought that I might get in trouble. We were at band practice yesterday and I was super bored and I was like, “What if I just leak
this? Will I get in trouble?” Really just testing the waters. The song has been around for like two years. JD Beck and DOMi are on it too, and Deaton Chris Anthony. It was just a really funny usage of time, energy and talent.
DTC: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard of you?
LJ: I feel like I have to tell people who’ve never heard of me what my music is all the time. Sometimes you’re around an older person who knows your parents or something and they’re like, “what does it sound like?” I usually just say singer-songwriter because I feel like that can encapsulate a lot. There are definitely ways that I hope people think of it and then ways that people [actually] think of it. Whenever people describe my music in a way that I don’t like, I try not to look at it much; it makes me put myself in a box and kind of bums me out.
DTC: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I’ve read a lot about how you’ve said that you don’t like being put in a box or category as an artist.
LJ: Yeah, I feel the box that we get put into sometimes is just gnarly. It’s just a lot of the same artists that came up at the same time as us; a lot of women and queer people, but nothing much to do with the actual songs. Sometimes I’m like, “are we listening to music just because it’s ‘women music’? What about the song?”
DTC: When I saw that you are going
to be performing at The Handlebar, I was surprised. Was there a motivation for coming to the Florida Panhandle or Pensacola specifically?
LJ: We’ve been in Florida twice in the last month. We just got back from Orlando and we were also just in St. Augustine. This tour is definitely the most we’ve ever hit Florida, which is sick. We never really got to headline Florida very much; I think this most recent tour was actually the first time. We did a tour with Japanese Break fast years and years ago where we hit Orlando and Tampa, but never as head liners. So, we’re like doing the whole thing [playing across the state] except for Miami, which sucks because I love it there.
DTC: What can fans expect from the show in regard to the performance and the stage production?
LJ: I don’t put much money into stage production because I just don’t feel like it. We don’t have a lights person or anything. The show has gotten really good because we don’t have anything to do but practice all the time. The band is a little bigger now, it’s a fivepiece. We spend so much time pouring over every single detail at band prac tice. Now that we’ve been on tour for so many months in a row, I feel like it has made us sound really good. I got surgery on my vocal cords, so now I have a brand new singing voice which is awesome and way less painful. People should expect the show to be fun and good, for sure!
October is the best time of year for eerie encounters along Northwest Florida’s infamous “ghost coast.” You never know when or where you may experience something frighteningly freaky that boggles your mind, espe cially in downtown Pensacola. Started by the Pensacola Historical Society as an annual fundraiser, the UWF Historic Trust continues the tradition of offering the Haunted House Walking and Trolley Tours the two weekends before Halloween every year. With four different itineraries to choose from, tour guides will lead you on a stroll through downtown’s grave past as you
learn about Intendencia Street’s murderous mayhem, Seville Square’s cornucopia of spooks and specters and South Palafox’s deadly bars and brothels (for adults only). Tours will be offered October 14, 15, 22 and 28 with time slots available at 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Each tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Tickets for the walking tours are $15 for adults and $8 for children, ages 12 and under. Tickets for the haunted trolley tour are $20 for adults and $10 for children, ages 12 and under. For tickets and tour details, visit historicpensacola.org.
Do you dare dine inside one of Pensacola’s oldest buildings and most haunted restaurant? Enjoy some spooky fun as your tour ghost-hunting guide walks you through the tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder and mayhem, paranor mal activities and the haunted history of Seville Quarter and Historic Down town Pensacola. Experienced ghost hunters and professional paranormal investigators will lead each hunt and provide guests with their own high-tech ghost hunting and paranormal equipment (or feel free to bring your own).
Following the tour, you’ll enjoy lunch or dinner at Apple Annie’s inside Seville Quarter. This haunted restaurant has more than just spirits on tap. Be careful because some uninvited ghosts might just join you for lunch! Tickets are $50 and include lunch or dinner. All ages are welcome. For tickets and details, visit pensacolaghostevents.com.
Get spooked and support a good cause at the Hadji Horror Haunted House inside the Hadji Shrine Temple located at 800 W. 9-Mile Rd. in Pensacola. With 40 different rooms of horror-filled fun, the Hadji Horror Haunted House has grown to become Northwest Florida’s largest haunted house attraction. The haunted house will be open October 14 to 15, 21 to 22, 28 to 29 and 31 from 7 pm to 10:30 pm. For the seventh year in a row, event proceeds will benefit the Pensacola Breast Cancer Association. General admission tickets are on sale now for $25 and VIP tickets can also be purchased for $35, which allow you access to skip the line. For tickets and complete event details, visit hadji hauntedhouse.com.
Enter, if you dare! Chills will run down your spine as you venture through the Nightmare Chambers at OWA Parks & Resort. With three different scare zones, this haunted house is not for the faint of heart. There is nothing funny about the clowns you’ll find lurking in the dark corridors throughout the Nightmare Chambers. Muster up the courage and face your childhood fears through this twisted clown room, but don’t scream too loud or they might admit you too. This haunted insane asylum is sure to make you go mad as you try to escape the butcher as meat has run scarce, and he and his workers will do all they can to try and capture you to make a profit. OWA’s Nightmare Chambers will be open October 1 through October 31 on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 pm to 10 pm, on Sundays from 7 pm to 9 pm and on October 31 from 7 pm to 9 pm. Tickets start at $19.99 and can be purchased online at visitowa.com/ nightmare-chambers.
Be sure to check out the calendar on page 18 for more local Halloween activities and spooky events!
If you’re going to go out looking for ghosts on Halloween, the Imogene Theatre in Milton is a good place to start. Over the past 105 years, the Imogene has had its fair share of performers, music patrons and “spirited” guests. Story has it that the ghost of the daughter of the man who bought the theater back in the 1920s and the namesake of the building, still inhabits the stage area. Imogene died at age 35 and is buried in Pensacola, but many believe that her spirit still lives on as a child in the theater. On October 15 from 10 am to 6 pm, investigators and ghost hunters from Second Sight Paranormal TV will host a Halloween Haunted House, featuring a spine-chilling mix of actors and special effects, costumes and spooky storytelling—all blended with Imogene’s haunted history. Tickets are $15 for the haunted house. Ghost hunters and paranormal investigators will also lead Ghost Hunt tours from 7 pm to 11 pm. Ghost Hunt tickets are $35 and include ghost hunting equipment. Personal audio equipment and digital cameras are allowed. For tickets and event details, visit miltonghosthunt.com.
The unknown awaits around every corner at Creepy Hollow Woods, one of Northwest Florida’s favorite haunted trails. Located in Jay, Creepy Hollow Woods has grown to become one of the top-rated haunted attractions not only in Florida, but across the nation. For this frightful festivity, you’ll navigate your way through “the haunt,” exploring the different rooms and creepy crea tures that await you inside as you try to escape the madness. Creepy Hollow will also provide live music and axe throwing (you’ll get to throw three axes for $5) while guests wait for their turn to enter the haunt. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at hauntpay.com or in person at the event. Creepy Hollow is located at 2251 Wade Road in Jay, FL. For more details, check out @CreepyHollowWoodsFL on Facebook.
If you are up for a little bit of a drive, the Wentz brothers’ popular haunted house has returned to the Santa Rosa Mall, but instead of a single haunted house, the brothers have taken over the entire western wing of the mall to create three separate haunted house experiences. The first of the haunted houses called “Protocol Z,” is a zombie apocalypse that pits military person nel against zombies in a nearly pitch black subterranean bunker. The second is “Lazarus Toys,” where participants must make their way through a decrepit toy shop, where they’ll meet unnerving toys that have come to life and don’t want to let their guests leave. The last house is “Shriek Show,” where visitors must navigate a labyrinth while being harassed by creepy clowns. This year’s Festival of Fears will also feature carnival midway-style games and a conces sion area. Festival of Fears is open Thursday through Saturday from 6 pm to 11 pm through the end of October, with special performances on October 30 and 31 for Halloween. Tickets are $20 to visit one haunted house, $35 for two or $45 to visit all three. For tickets and information, visit wbfestivaloffears.com.
by Darien Hardy
October is the time of year for crisp cool weather pumpkins, tricks, treats and everything in between, but for the Pensacola Humane Society (PHS), October is also a time to celebrate and support all our favorite furry friends. Join PHS this Halloween for one of the area’s favorite pet friendly festivals and mega adoption events: Barktoberfest at the Community Maritime Park.
The Pensacola Humane Society orga nizes and hosts Barktoberfest each year as part of its annual fundraising efforts to help support and raise awareness of its mission. This year’s Barktoberfest event will be held Sunday, October 30 at the Community Maritime Park located at 301 W. Main Street in downtown Pensacola. The event will feature a variety of tasty foods and beverages from a variety of local vendors and food trucks, as well as PHS vendor information, adoption booths, pet-centric boutiques, multiple pet businesses, local veterinarians, fun
pet accessories and more.
“We will host a variety of contests, small dog races, local food trucks, pet centric vendors, fun merchandise, and so much more. Every one planning to attend should expect this to be a howlin’ good time,” Fischer said.
A series of fun pet contests will also be held as part of this year’s festivities starting at 11 am on the amphitheater stage. There will be both a morning and an afternoon session, with the afternoon session beginning at 2 pm. The obedi ence and agility demonstrations, along with the “Moose’s Mutter Speedway”
small dog race, are always a big hit for pets and pet parents alike.
The popularity of the costume contests has grown over the years so the PHS will be continuing the tradition and adding in other fun contests such as a pie eating and a food tasting contest. The food
tasting contest will be judged by a team of local first responders. This year’s pet contests are generously sponsored by StepOne Automotive. Additionally, the always popular Barktoberfest T-shirts will be available for purchase through out the park with proceeds benefiting
the PHS.
Event festivities also include music and live entertainment. The Five Flags Dog Train ing Club has coordinated the ever-popular “demo ring,” and will host special perfor mances and other demonstrations along with other local dog trainers.
This Barktoberfest event is to promote community education and outreach and serves as one of three major fundraisers and adoption events of the year for the Society. The PHS also invites other area animal welfare organizations to join the event for adoptions and fundraising of their own.
This year’s Barktoberfest “Presenting Pawt ner’’ is the Pensacola Ice Flyers. Last year, the PHS received support from 20 differ ent sponsors, and according to Fischer, the
organization is on track to hit that same number with room for even more.
We are still taking applications for new sponsors and look forward to answering any questions any potential partners may have. All questions and inquiries should be directed to our Community Event Coordina tor,” Fischer explained.
All members of the community are invited to attend Barktoberfest on Sunday, Octo ber 30 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Commu nity Maritime Park. Barktoberfest is a free community event, however donations will be accepted. All dogs attending the event should always remain on a leash.
Visit pensacolahumane.org or follow @pensacolahumane on Facebook and Instagram for complete event details.
October 5-9
The 2022 Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival kicks off on October 5 and runs through October 9. This annual festival has been running for over a decade and celebrates the art of songwriting. The festival will feature a variety of special events and performances taking place at more than a dozen different beachside bars, restaurants and businesses. Visit pensacolabeachsongwritersfestival.com for complete event details and to view the full lineup of scheduled events.
October Home Games and Theme Nights at the Pensacola Bay Center
For tickets and information, visit iceflyers.com.
October 20 at 7:05 pm - Huntsville Havoc vs Ice Flyers;
Opening Night
October 22 at 7:05 pm - Macon Mayhem vs Ice Flyers;
Pink In The Rink
October 29 at 7:05 pm - Huntsville Havoc vs Ice Flyers; Capes and Crowns (costume contest)
October 1 - November 6
Sweet Seasons Farms has returned for another year of your favorite fall festivities– a giant corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayrides, fun fall games and tons of tasty foods. The farm will once again host its 10-acre interactive maze, where participants select a trivia topic and at tempt to answer a set of related questions correctly in order to make their way through the maze. This year’s pumpkin patch will feature pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and colors, with a percentage of all pink pumpkin sales directly benefiting the American Cancer Society. The farm will be open on Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm and on Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm and October 21 and 28 from 6 pm to 10 pm. Sweet Seasons Farms is located at 2260 Horn Road in Milton. Tickets start at $13.50 and can be purchased at sweetseasonfarms.com.
October 2
Pensacon and Splash City Adventures have teamed up to bring you two-days of family-friendly Halloween fun for this year’s Pensacon HalloweenFest. Join in the fun October 1-2 at Splash City Adventures (6709 Pensacola Blvd.) for two full days of spooky pop-culture festivities in an outdoor, convention-style atmosphere featuring lo cal vendors, live entertainment, artists, celebrity guests, costume contests, trick-or-treating in the park and more. Costumes are encouraged, and each day will include a costume contest, with adults competing on Saturday and kids on Sunday. There is no cost to Pensacon Hal loweenFest. For complete details, visit pensacon.com.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 12, 18, 19, 25 & 26
DoD identification card holders and their guests who are able to access Naval Air Station Pensacola and visit the National Naval Aviation Museum can view the Blue Angels practice flight demonstrations directly from the flight deck. The gates open at 9:30 am, with the Blue Angels taking off around 10:30 am. Practice flight demonstrations can also be viewed outside of NAS Pensacola including Fort Pickens, boat cruises and various locations throughout downtown Pensacola.
Hosted by IT Gulf Coast, ITEN WIRED is the Southeast’s premier cybersecurity and IT conference. Attendees will connect, collaborate and build community with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, students and educators. The three-day event highlights the region’s cybersecurity and explores emerging technology and innovators in startup tech, artificial intelligence, robotics, and advancements in technology on the national level. The ITEN WIRED Summit will be hosted at the Hilton on Pensacola Beach at 12 Via De Luna Drive. Visit itenwired.com for tickets and information.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 8
More than 48 teams supported by thousands of spec tators will be competing for bragging rights in the 8th Annual Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival. The races take place in Bayou Texar, just behind Bayview Park and the Bayview Community Center located at 2001 East Lloyd Street in Pensacola. Event proceeds go to directly sup port local organizations and charities with a focus on children. For event details and to view the complete list of 2022 sponsors and participating vendors, visit pensacoladragonboatfestival.com.
October 15
O’Riley’s Uptown Tavern is inviting the city to make their mark on the tavern at their Backyard Beautification event. On October 15 from 12 pm to 6 pm, artists, orga nizations and creatives are invited to paint the tavern’s backyard fences and picnic tables. The fences and tables will be primed and ready for your or your organization to paint or tag. The event will also feature food trucks and a new outdoor service bar. For complete details, visit orileystavern.com.
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As a part of University of West Florida’s 2022 Homecom ing, there will be a book sale on the first floor of the John C. Pace Library. From 8 am to 2 pm guests can browse various gently used books that have been marked down to incredibly low prices—$1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardbacks. The sale is cash or check only. The John C. Pace Library is Building 32 on the University of West Florida campus (11000 University Pkwy.). For more in formation, visit libguides.uwf.edu/calendar.
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Emerald Republic Brewing will host its first-ever Hallow een Market on October 23 from 12 pm to 5 pm featuring scary drink specials and a collection of local vendors and companies showcasing their spooky wares for the upcoming holiday. There will be something for everyone to enjoy, from oddities and paintings to cookies and vintage clothing. Grab a brew and enjoy some food from A Rustyc Spoon as you browse the different vendor selections in the beer garden at Emerald Republic (1414 W. Government St. ) in downtown Pensacola. There is no cost to attend. For complete details, check out the event on the Emerald Republic Brewing Facebook page.
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Take a lunch break with the opera, and pair your sandwich with an aria! Grab a sack lunch—or just yourself—and join us downtown for Brown Bag Opera, a free, monthly performance featuring the 2022-23 Jan Miller Studio Artists. Musical performances include a variety of beloved arias, timeless showtunes, stunning duets and trios. Brown Bag Opera performances will be held at the Pensacola Op era Center located at 75 S. Tarragona Street in downtown Pensacola. Each of the performances begins at 12 PM and lasts around 45 minutes. Seating is first-come, first-served. For complete details and to view the full schedule of Brown Bag Opera events, visit pensacolaopera.com.
October 29
Garden & Grain invites you to celebrate all things spooky for its 2nd Annual The Witching Hour event. The party will go on throughout the night featuring spooky decor, crafty cocktails, costumes, tarot card readings and more. The festivities kick off at 5 pm at Garden & Grain located just behind Perfect Plain at at 50 East Garden St. in downtown Pensacola. For complete event details, updates and other announcements, visit perfectplain.com.
October 8
Hosted annually by the First City Art Center (FCAC), the 16th Annual Pumpkin Patch will feature thousands of hand-blown glass and hand-crafted ceramic pumpkins to choose from. This year’s Pumpkin Patch will be held at Blue Wahoos Stadium in downtown Pensacola. Handmade pumpkins come in all shapes, colors and sizes and prices start at $20. Entry times are as follows: Members Only
First Pick is from 10 am to 11 am = $30; General Public First Pick is from 11 am to 12 pm = $40 and General Admission is from 1 pm to 4 pm is FREE. For tickets and complete event details, visit firstcityart.org.
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October 20-30
The Pensacola Interstate Fair is the largest and most exciting event held on the Gulf Coast. With more than 60 rides, top-name entertainers, games, educational exhibits and food galore, there is always something new to see and do at the Fair. The 2022 Pensacola Interstate Fair will take place on October 20 through October 30 at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds located at 655 Mobile Highway. Gates open at 4 pm on October 20. Ticket prices vary by day and age. For prices, ticket purchases, hours and to check out this year’s full entertainment lineup, pensacolafair.com.
October 9
Punks and the general public, including posers, are in vited to peruse the Pensacola Punk Rock Flea Market on October 9 at 432 West Belmont Street in Pensacola. This year’s event will feature more than 50 local artists, vintage dealers, food trucks and creative vendors sell ing their unique products. There is no charge to attend. Just come ready to shop! For complete event details and updates on participating vendors, check out @punkrock fleamarketpensacola on Facebook.
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Gallery Night Pensacola will once again close Palafox Street (from Garden Street to Main Street) to provide safe and open streets for patrons to explore and enjoy music, art, food and more. Get ready to get spooked at this month’s Gallery “Fright” Night on October 21. Bring your friends and little ones to experience the downtown streets filled with goblins, ghouls, and the cutest little cowboys you ever did see. Event photographers will be out and about to capture photos of some of the best costumes on the street. For performance announcements, featured artists and more, visit gallerynightpensacola.org.
The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation (NAMF) will host its 3rd annual Onward & Upward Virtual Race October 1 through October 31 to celebrate the U.S. Navy’s TOPGUN pilots and program. Open to participants nationwide, the Onward & Upward Virtual Race registration portal opens October 1.
The U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, also known as TOPGUN, is an elite strike fighter air division that started in 1969 as the United States Fighter Weapons School. This program selects and trains our nation’s best strike fighter pilots, currently training in F/A-18 jets.
The Navy’s TOPGUN program received worldwide recognition after the 1986 film, Top Gun, set box office records. The elite fighter jet training program gained international recognition, once again, more than 30 years later in the 2022 release of the movie sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.
The Onward & Upward virtual race allows participants to choose the distance, time and place to complete the race, anytime from October 1 to October 31. Participants can register online at navalaviationfoundation.org/ virtualrace/ for the 1-mile, 5k or 10k distance run for a registration fee of $35. All participants will receive a sliding F/A-18 jet and pilot aviators race medal and a digital race bib.
“Help us reach our goal of 1,400 national participants for our 3rd Annual Onward and Upward virtual race. We want our participants to celebrate our nation’s best while being active outdoors,” retired Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, president and CEO of NAMF said. “We encourage all participants to share their running courses, photos and stories on social media and remember to
tag the museum to their stories.”
All proceeds support the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation which helps support the National Naval Aviation Museum, National Flight Academy, DoD STARBASE and the Flight Adventure Deck —which advances STEM education for our nation’s youth. We promote the history and heritage of Naval Aviation for current and future generations.
Participants are asked to use #OnwardUpward and tag @navalaviation museum for all social media posts.
To register for the Onward and Upward Virtual Race, visit navalavia tionfoundation.org/virtualrace/ or contact the Museum Foundation for more information at namfoffice@navalaviationmuseum.org.
On September 17 Pensacola State College hosted the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Story Live 2022 event that showcased and promoted the importance of women in STEM fields.
More than 70 guests attended the event to listen to a wide range of local guest speakers representing women in the technological workforce from both the private and government sectors. For the event, local middle school youth were invited to meet inspiring professionals, explore science exhibits and participate in hands-on workshops for students of all ages interested in the sciences.
Lt. Meagan Way, a Cyber Protection Team (CPT) Lead at Navy Infor mation Operations Command (NIOC) Pensacola, represented the U.S. Navy. She spoke about her experience in the Navy and her current job at NIOC Pensacola.
“At 554 CPT, we conduct defensive cyberspace operations with a focus on defending Department of Defense infor mation networks and improving network security. My team is made up of mostly Cryptologic Technicians who analyze network data,” Way said. “We travel to various sites around the United States as well as overseas and analyze networks using cyber tools to identify if there are malicious cyberspace actors present.”
Cmdr. Colleen Handbury, Command ing Officer, NIOC Pensacola, participated in a round table discussion, along with civilian guest speakers, with the parents of STEM students. She briefed STEM internship and scholarship opportunities offered by the Department of the Navy and
Department of Defense. She also discussed the Navy Reserve Officer Train ing Corps or NROTC Scholarship program option, which offers scholarship opportunities to more than 170 colleges and universities across the nation.
“The Navy and Department of Defense offer so many opportunities for officers, enlisted service members and civilians to obtain a STEM educa tion. It was wonderful to be able to highlight those programs to parents this afternoon,” Handbury said. “But there are also opportunities for young people to earn scholarships for a degree in one of the STEM fields which could lead to a career in the Information Warfare community, either as a Sailor or a commissioned officer.”
NIOC Pensacola’s mission is to execute cyberspace operations and signals intelligence in support of Naval, Joint Forces, and National tasking authorities.
For more information on NIOC Pensacola, visit the command Facebook page at facebook.com/NIOCPensacola or navifor.usff.navy.mil/nioc-pensacola/.
Photo courtesy of Navy Information Operations Command Pensacola Lt. Meagan Way stands with a group of middle school students from Pensacola. Way spoke to middle school students interested in STEM degrees about her work in the U.S. Navy at the Pensacola State College Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at Story Live 2022 event.
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