The Pensacola Foo Foo Festival Committee has announced the public grant scoring for the 2025 Foo Foo Festival, naming 10 grant recipients and allocating more than $450,000 in grant funding. The festival runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 10.
- “This Fall, we are thrilled to welcome a class of returning Foo Foo Fest presenters, and we look forward to showcasing immersive displays of art and theatre, world premiere performances, collaborative presentations, returning festivals, and more to visitors to Escambia County and our local community,” said Therese Felth McKenzie, Chair of Pensacola Foo Foo Festival & Vice President of ACE Pensacola.
The 2025 grant recipients include:
309 Punk Project: HalloZine Fest, a two-day interactive celebration of zine culture and DIY art. Featuring zine exhibitions, hands-on workshops, artist talks, and a Halloween-themed party with live music.
Friends of Downtown: Afterburn, a large-scale suspended art installation in Downtown Pensacola, created in collaboration with internationally renowned artist Tomislav Topic.
Japan-America Society of Northwest Florida: HizashiCon Anime Festival, a vibrant three-day anime and Japanese pop culture convention celebrating creativity, inclusion, and cross-cultural connection.
Legal Services of North Florida & Jazz for Justice: Jazz for Justice is a premier annual jazz event benefiting the Legal Services of North Florida, which serves low-income individuals and families.
Night Moves Inc.: Night Moves, a one-day festival that will feature live music across multiple stages, food trucks, an art garden, and a vendor market at the Community Maritime Park.
PenArts: The Luck, a new musical written and performed by Nashville’s popular folk/bluegrass band The Lubben Brothers. Based on a Bret Harte novella, The Luck tells a moving tale of hope, redemption, and the California Gold Rush.
Pensacola Little Theatre: Blending Shakespeare, 60s rock, and immersive theatre, Somebody to Love will be a building-wide, multi-sensory experience inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Pensacola Opera: Rock the Runway: Amped, live mashups by the White Tie Rock Ensemble and international opera singers, and a catwalk showcasing local boutiques.
Pensacola State College: Wandering Without Purpose, an Anna Lamar Switzer Gallery art exhibit by Relja Penezic and Victoria Jordanova featuring paintings, video art, and an interactive sound installation.
Pensacola Symphony Orchestra: A free community concert at the National Naval Aviation Museum over Veterans Day Weekend, featuring the Four Seasons Brass.
Nonprofits that were not selected, and for-profit partners interested in participating, are encouraged to do so as a “Friend of Foo,” receiving local, regional, and national visibility during the 12-day event via Foo Foo Fest’s regional marketing campaign. To apply as a “Friend of Foo,” interested parties should visit FooFooFest.com.