Press release: Parents will have a new place to bring their little ghosts, goblins, princes and princesses this fall for Halloween. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos announced today their intention to host the first ever “Wahoo-loween†event at Blue Wahoos stadium during the Halloween season.
Jonathan Griffith, president of the Blue Wahoos, said details were still being finalized for the event, including the date and time. Griffith said, in typical Blue Wahoos fashion, expect something out of the ordinary for Halloween, but that the stadium would be open for a night of trick-or-treating and other Halloween-themed activities for area young people.
“At the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, just like every other member of the Studer Family of Companies, our goal is to improve the quality of life for people in Northwest Florida. We work hard to make the Blue Wahoos games a fun time for the entire family, especially children, and we are looking forward to bringing that same Blue Wahoos experience to Halloween this fall,†said Griffith.
Griffith said that the team had considered doing Trick-or-Treat or Halloween events in the past, but the Blue Wahoos did not want to compete with the Downtown Trick-or-Treat event managed by the Downtown Improvement Board. Upon the DIB’s recent announcement that they would not be sponsoring this year’s Trick-or-Treat event, the Blue Wahoos stepped in.
Quint Studer, co-owner of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, said the recent DIB decision created an another opportunity for the private sector to take on events that public entities can’t continue funding.
“It only stands to reason that as downtown continues to grow, the DIB will adjust its focus to support that growth. This creates opportunities for us in the private sector to give back to the community, like what has happened with the Pelican Drop and Gallery Night,†said Studer.
The recent decision by the Downtown Improvement Board on the Trick-or-Treat event comes as part of a new approach the organization has taken to focus on beautification, cleanliness, and downtown partnerships.
John Peacock, chairman of the Downtown Improvement Board, said the Blue Wahoos offer to host Halloween was a great opportunity for the community to see even more of downtown.
“The DIB will continue to encourage and promote events that bring people downtown, while focusing our own resources on providing tangible improvements to downtown such as beautification, cleaner streets, and improved walkability. I’m thrilled to hear that the Blue Wahoos are stepping up and helping to provide this opportunity that so many children enjoy, and we look forward to helping spread the word about Wahoo-loween,†said Peacock.