The big guy is in downtown Pensacola tonight to kick off the season with a holiday lighting ceremony and special shopping at downtown merchants. We already love Pensacola, but it is a magical place around the holidays. Here are five holiday traditions you don’t want to miss as a local or a visitor.
- Palafox Holiday Market—The Palafox Market will host a special holiday market every Wednesday night from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. through December 18. Shop for custom-made goods and local favorites to give as holiday presents or to treat yourself. Wander among the downtown lights, stroll through the holiday market, and then end the evening with a hot cocoa or dinner on Palafox.
- Pensacola Winterfest – Mark your calendars for November 15, 2024, the day after Thanksgiving. Downtown Pensacola transforms into a winter wonderland for good boys and girls of all ages. The month-and-a-half-long celebration starts with the Winterfest Elf Parade and Christmas Jubilee. You can book a reservation for pictures with Santa and the Grinch, watch live holiday performances, or ride the holiday trolley throughout historic Pensacola. For a full list of dates and times, click here: www.pensacolawinterfest.org
- Lighted Boat Parade – December 6 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. One of the signature events of living on the coast is experiencing a Christmas parade on the water. This fun tradition features commercial and private vessels lighted and decorated for the holidays. The boats sail from Sabine Marina at 6:30 p.m. around the Santa Rosa Sound to the Boardwalk and back. Shaggy’s hosts a kid’s party from 4 – 6 p.m. before the boat parade and Santa will greet children at the Quietwater Shell after the parade. This is a MUST ATTEND!
- Pensacola Christmas Parade – December 14 from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. With 100 floats, groups, and other entries, this is a spectacular parade with bands from Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, and New Orleans. The Blue Angels Flight team will be featured. Wear your favorite festive attire, a lighted hat, and necklace, and join the Christmas fun!
- Ballet Pensacola: The Nutcracker – Friday, December 20 – Sunday, December 22 times are varied. The Nutcracker, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child’s imagination. The plot is an adaptation of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s 1816 short story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Come see this wonderful performance featuring Pensacola’s and make it a tradition for the entire family. Tickets are available here: The Nutcracker
There are so many more fun Pensacola traditions, including special shopping nights, open houses, live music, and personalized experiences. But these five events are a MUST DO.
May your holiday season be merry and bright.
