Flooding Escambia County with arts.
By Allison McCrory
The cultural extravaganza with the weird name is coming soon to Pensacola!
For the 12th year, beloved Foo Foo Festival brings its multi-sensory arts spectacular to various Escambia County locations Oct. 30 through Nov. 10. From music to art to theater to the iconic sky installation, patrons flock from near and far to take in the events.
“The Pensacola Foo Foo Festival is a 12-day celebration of culturally creative happenings, events and moments under one banner held each fall, attracting visitors to beautiful Downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach,” said Therese Felth McKenzie, Pensacola Foo Foo Festival chairperson.
When the event began in 2014, the aim was to take advantage of the gorgeous November Gulf Coast weather during prime festival season.
“The goal was to fill the period between some of Pensacola’s most popular cultural events—like the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, and the Blue Angels Homecoming Show at NAS Pensacola—with fun events attractive to ‘cultural tourists,’” said McKenzie.
LOOK SKYWARD!
Probably Foo Foo Fest’s most photographed element is its sky installation. Balloons, umbrellas and colorful tiles have been among the backdrops that filled Instagram and Facebook feeds in years past. This year’s sky installation is Afterburn, presented by Friends of Downtown.
“Much like previous crowd favorites — Umbrella Sky, Magic Carpet, and Bubble Alley — Afterburn will be a large-scale, immersive visual experience in Downtown Pensacola. Created in collaboration with internationally renowned artist Tomislav Topic, the installation will give a nod to the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels and will be powered by wind and light,” McKenzie said.
“The timing is especially meaningful, as the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show takes place each November during Foo Foo Fest. Afterburn is a tribute to the Blues and a celebration of their deep cultural significance to our community.”
ART, MUSIC,
THEATER & MORE
Returning and novel artistic expressions are on tap for Foo Foo Festival 2025. Look for favorites such as Jazz for Justice, Rock the Runway and Night Moves. Pensacola Little Theatre will host 12 performances themed “Somebody to Love” in building-wide multi-sensory shows. Pensacola State will present “Wandering Without Purpose,” an art exhibit featuring paintings, video art and interactive sound, and the Japan-America Society of Northwest Florida will once again host the HizashiCon Anime Festival. And that’s just the beginning of the grant-supported events.
The festival also includes Friends of Foo events.
“These events are added on a rolling basis until about a month before the festival,” noted McKenzie. “We encourage interested artists, businesses or organizations to apply to become a Friend of Foo, which is a great way to participate and contribute to the event series’ vibrant atmosphere. Details on how to apply can be found on FooFooFest.com.
“For those interested in sponsorships, Foo Foo Festival welcomes support from individuals and businesses who share our mission of promoting cultural tourism and the arts community. We encourage potential sponsors to visit our website to explore the grant-funded events being presented this year. From there, they can connect directly with the presenting organizations to discuss sponsorship opportunities.”
A WIN-WIN FOR
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Not only is Foo Foo Festival delicious eye and ear candy, it pumps a lot of revenue into Escambia County.
According to the 2024 economic impact report produced by the Haas Center, Foo Foo Fest drew an estimated 90,000 attendees over its 12-day run. The event attracts locals as well as patrons from as far away as China and Australia.
“Researchers estimated the economic impact of the 2024 Foo Foo Festival at $27 million,” McKenzie said.
Maybe the biggest payoff of all is the soul-nourishing glow of arts immersion the annual event offers patrons, explained McKenzie.
“Foo Foo Fest is big fun with events of high artistic and cultural caliber delivered with a hefty dose of Southern sophistication.”
