Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival

The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is one of the most highly regarded and popular arts festivals in America. The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, a three-day, juried art show, comes to Pensacola’s historic Seville Square the first weekend in November. Each year, it draws more than 200 of the nation’s best painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, graphic artists, craftsmen, mixed-media artists and others who have been gifted with the ability to turn inspiration into art. They compete for your attention and $25,000 in cash awards.

Live musicians will hit the right notes from the Main Stage with sounds ranging from of bluegrass, Cajun and blues to instrumental guitar. The Parrish Performing Arts Stage will showcase dance schools, performing companies, community groups, and area folk groups.

The Festival features an authentic Heritage Arts area, where skilled craftspeople from around the country provide demonstrations of crafts from the past, including blacksmithing, engraving, spinning, weaving and other time-honored traditions.

The Children’s Arts Festival takes place at Bartram Park, featuring numerous hands-on artistic opportunities to indulge kids’ inner artists at no cost to parents. Projects include face painting, clay play, a flower shop, button creations, sand art, sidewalk art, and a magical balloon show. There is glitter, glue, sequins and more for children to create their own mini-masterpieces such as masks, crowns, magic wands, and jewelry.

Bartram Park is also home to the annual Student Art Show, which showcases the talents of private and public school students in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Over 2,000 pieces of art from elementary, middle and high school students is displayed.

Food and beverages are available from a variety of vendors, including some of Pensacola’s best-known restaurants and chefs.