Vacation Artfully in Pensacola, Florida at the 6th Annual Foo Foo Festival

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foo Foo Fest and was written by Becky Peterson.

Vacation Artfully in Pensacola, Florida at the 6th Annual Foo Foo Festival

Foo Foo Culture

For most people “culture” conjures up images of hoity-toity black tie events in New York, London, Rome or Paris. Pensacola, Florida doesn’t typically make that list. But that’s about to change.

The Big Five

Pensacola, the charming coastal Southern city in Florida’s panhandle, is the only spot on the Gulf Coast stretching from Mobile, Ala to Tampa, Fla. that offers the “big five” – an opera, ballet, symphony, theatre and museum.

Culture Capital of the Southeast

Known as the Culture Capital of the Southeast, Pensacola is excited to announce the 2019 arts, culture and entertainment headliners for the 6th Annual Foo Foo Fest taking place October 31 – November 11, 2019.  The highly-anticipated arts and culture festival, one of the largest in the South, is produced by the nonprofit organization, Art, Culture, and Entertainment, Inc. (ACE) and spans an impressive 12 days. Foo Foo Fest is big fun, with events of high artistic and cultural caliber, delivered with a hefty dose of Southern sophistication.

More Than Beaches

Pensacola’s pristine sugar-white beaches and emerald green water entice visitors from all over the world. Upon arrival in the delightful Florida panhandle city, many find themselves equally captivated by its history, culture and diverse heritage. The Foo Foo Festival profiles and celebrates this wide array of culture throughout the city, featuring innovative and extraordinary artists from all genres including art, music, theatre and much more.

Festival Season

Strategically positioned around and during some of Pensacola’s most popular events, the 12-day Foo Foo Fest straddles some of the area’s longstanding and favorite happenings including the 47th Annual Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show, Pensacola Eggfest and the 35th Annual Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival.

Line Up

This year’s Foo Foo Fest line up runs the gamut from internationally-acclaimed classical piano virtuoso Garrick Ohlsson, renowned jazz band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Multi-Grammy nominated musician Marsha Ambrosius to “Skulptures” (a display of 3D printable skateable concrete structures) and a performance of The Savannah Sipping Society (a new play by The Golden Girls writers).

Other highlights include:

  • Fire and Rain – A suspended sea of billowing holographic strands ripples high over historic Intendencia Street like a quilt of sparkling diamonds. Curving up, dipping down and winding around, then skipping across Palafox to the towering stone columns of Artel Gallery, this immersive experience casts moving shadows over pedestrians who pass underneath. The abstract art sculpture, hand-made from mylar and monofilament, stretches 9,500 square feet and rises and falls like a shimmering ocean in the sky, controlled by the breeze.  High in the air, it shape-shifts, rewarding visitors round the clock throughout the entire 12-day Foo Foo Fest with a live public art show of forms, reflective colors and breathtaking, rolling waves.
  • Choir! Choir! Choir! – created by Toronto-based musicians Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman, Choir! Choir! Choir! is equal parts singing, comedy, and community-building.  Whoever shows up performs, but no auditions are necessary. Just come to the Rex Theatre on November 6, trade your ticket for a lyric sheet, join a group of highs, mids or lows, and master an arrangement of an awesome song. The ultimate group production.
  • StompFest 2019 – StompFest will kick off the first weekend of Foo Foo Fest on Saturday, November 2 at the Pensacola Bay Center.  The mission of StompFest is to immerse the Gulf Coast in contemporary African-American art, dancing, and stepping blended with a mix of spoken word, live music, and visual artistry while showcasing the influence this rich culture has on Black Greek-Letter Organizations (BGLO).  Multi-Grammy nominated musician Marsha Ambrosius will headline the event along with DJ Mannie Fresh and event host Haha Davis. “We encourage cultural tourists to vacation artfully and make Pensacola their fall must-see destination,” said Foo Foo Fest Committee Chair Maria Goldberg. “Pensacola is highly regarded in the arts and culture community and we’re excited to present another year of stellar and diverse experiences during this year’s festival that will attract regional and national visitors alike.”

Fun and Culture Year-Round

In addition to the plethora of arts and cultural happenings during Foo Foo Fest, Pensacola offers year ‘round historic walking tours, a large farmer’s market, quaint shops, food trucks and brewery tours. Visitors can stroll along the bay, enjoy the beautiful beaches, experience the culinary arts scene, and take in historic sites all staged in the backdrop of relaxed elegance unique to this historic city on the Gulf Coast.

For more information about Foo Foo Fest check out the following ::

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Becky Peterson specializes in writing and strategy and has worked in Houston, Atlanta and, currently, Indianapolis.  A mom to three amazing children, Becky races sprint distance triathlons and is a classically trained vocalist, having performed with the Michael O’Neal Singers in Atlanta and, currently, with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir.

 

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