Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Super Girl Surf Pro Contest & Festival

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Tomorrow is the first day of the Super Girl Surf Pro Contest & Festival! This is a three-day festival that celebrates women’s action sports while focusing on female empowerment through social, athletic, cultural, and business opportunities.

The surf contest will be held at the Jacksonville Beach pier. The Festival Village at the Sea Walk Pavilion will be occurring simultaneously. The Village will feature live music, family-friendly activities, an ALL-FEMALE DJ competition, women’s beach soccer, women’s volleyball tournaments, free fitness/dance classes, and celebrity speakers. Additionally, there will be a beer garden and the possibility to get autographs from pro surfers. The best part is that all activities are FREE. Come down to Jacksonville Beach to take part in this festival from November 12th-14th! Visit the festival’s website here for detailed itineraries and more information on available activities. 

Stamped Film Festival: Foo Foo Festival

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From November 12-14th, Foo Foo Festival is hosting the Stamped Film Festival at the Pensacola Cultural Center. Starting at 5 p.m. on November 12th and ending with a family day on November 14th, this event focuses on LBGTQ films and creators. The highly vetted films will feature content that can vary from PG-Mature with the aforementioned ‘Family Day’ on November 14th. “Family Day” includes films that are suitable for all ages, a series of children’s activities from face painting, balloon art, and kids snacks.

While the show itself is free, reservations are required as seating is limited. Visit the Stamped Film Festival event page here to RSVP to this amazing event! Additionally, you can view trailers for the featured films, see a specific film lineup by day, and more. 

Fun Florida Population Facts

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Today’s blog brings you three fun facts about Florida’s population: 

  1. Florida ranked as the third most populous state in 2019. (United States Census Bureau)
  2. Approximately 950 people move to Florida on average per day. 
  3. Florida is ranked as the second-fastest growing state in the United States. (ISG World Miami Report)

Great Gulfcoast Art Festival

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Today is the last day to score one-of-a-kind holiday gifts at the annual Great Gulfcoast Art Festival. Over 200 artisans will be displaying their creations: pottery, jewelry design, painting, woodworking, glass, sculptures, and more will be available. Other festival highlights include live music, food, performances by local dancers and folk groups, craft demos of traditional trade skills like blacksmithing and spinning in the Heritage Arts Area, and the Student Art Show. Visit Seville Square Park in Pensacola today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy the last day of this amazing Art Festival. 

Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival

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The 37th Annual Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival is underway! From November 4 – 14th, over 200 performers will be performing at 20 different venues along the Florida & Alabama Gulf Coast. Some highlights include Dean Dillon, Rick Carter, Tess Frizzell, and Bridgette Tatum. A few of the panhandle local venues are the Flora-Bama Central Church, the Southwest Branch Library, Hub Stacy’s, and The Point Restaurant (all located in Pensacola).

Visit the Festival website to view the complete list of venues, the performer schedule, and more! Can’t make it to any of the venues? The Festival has created a Spotify playlist featuring a number of hits that will be played live for your continual enjoyment.

 

Seafood Festival in Apalachicola

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Today and tomorrow, visit Battery Park in Apalachicola for the Florida Seafood Festival! The festival includes more than delicious seafood; there will be live music, food competitions, blue crab races, a blessing of the fleet, and the 5K Redfish Run. Music will be provided by country artists Dante Bowe and Drew Parker. Admission is free. Pets are not welcome unless they are service animals. Visit the Florida Seafood Festival website to see a detailed schedule of events, join any of the competitive events, and more!

Son et Lumiere: Foo Foo Festival!

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Part of the Foo Foo Festival, Son et Lumiere is a sound and light 3D projection show. A free experience for all ages, it will occur every 30mins from 7 – 9:30 p.m. on November 4-7th. The show is a digital projection on the old Escambia County Courthouse; it is a visual spectacular designed to mix history and technology. The show depicts scenes, people, optical illusions, and imagery from the last 200 years to create an interactive, modern experience. Visit the Son et Lumiere event page here for more information on the history of the concept, event details, and more. 

Welcome Home Blue Angels!

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The Blue Angels are returning to their home base for the winter after spending the last few months traveling and performing across the country. The Homecoming Air Show will begin at the Naval Air Station Pensacola on Wednesday, followed by Thursday’s dress rehearsal, and then the weekend shows. Due to Covid restrictions, the air show was moved to Pensacola Beach. The Homecoming shows on Friday and Saturday will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For a detailed itinerary, head to the official Visit Pensacola website. Public and paid parking will be available. 

Veterans Fair

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The GFWC Marianna Woman’s Club is partnering with the Chipola Civic Club to host the 7th annual Veterans Day Program. This Friday, November 5th, all veterans are invited to come down to Madison Street Park for the fair. From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., veterans will have the opportunity to receive information from a selection of vendors. Additionally, a sausage dog lunch will be available for free while live music is performed by the Charlie Basford Band. Door prizes will be passed out at the end of the program. 

*Masks and social distancing are encouraged

Happy Birthday Black Dog Cafe!

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Congratulations on 24 years of female-owned excellence, Black Dog Cafe! The Cafe is giving back to celebrate their birthday today, November 1st, by offering a free coffee when customers bring in a donation for Second Harvest Food Bank. Black Dog is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and offers a wide selection of coffee, drinks, pastries, and frozen treats; everything is sustainably and locally sourced. Some come out to Lake Ella today to enjoy the lovely weather, great drinks, and do some good for the community!

Second Harvest Food Bank accepts donations of non-perishable food items, and would like to draw attention to their most needed items:

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Grains
  • Protein Foods
  • Dairy/Dairy Alternatives
  • Canned Meals (ex: soups, chowders, and chili)
  • Nutritional drinks (ex: Ensure, Boost)
  • Baby Food
  • Non-food Items (ex: diapers, toiletries)

Visit their official website here to view a detailed list or learn more about the organization.