Foo Foo Festival is a Pensacola cultural staple. Residents and visitors pour into town for twelve days of culture and the arts in downtown Pensacola. The festival began on Nov. 2 and spanned until Nov. 13. Each day offered something different for festival-goers. While some were semi-permanent installations, such as the Art Cubes on Garden St., others were up during the entirety of the festival.
Photos via Foo Foo Festival’s official Instagram
But what does “Foo Foo” even mean? According to the official website, the name “Foo Foo” comes from impromptu musical bands of shipmates on 19th-century sailing vessels, so the “gathering of Pensacola’s arts and entertainment organizations” was the Foo Foo of downtown Pensacola.
Photo via the Foo Foo Festival Official Website
The Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Inc. (ACE) thought the festival was a fun way to attract “cultural tourists” to Pensacola between some of Pensacola’s bigger and more well-recognized events like the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival and the Blue Angels Homecoming Show. This year’s was Pensacola’s 4th Annual Foo Foo Festival.
If you went downtown during the first two weeks of November, chances are you experienced some of the Foo Foo Festival without even realizing it. Small “Science on the Street” interactive pop-ups lined Palafox St., teaching people about basic science principles and allowing kids to have some hands-on experience. “Flower flashes” popped up in various places downtown, such as in the fountain at Plaza Ferdinand VII or near the pelican on Garden Street. Most notably, the Umbrella Street next to World of Beer was Instagram-famous and truly a snap-worthy stop.
Photo by Troy Moon
You can find a full list of events offered at this year’s festival here.