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PENSACOLA PAINTS THE TOWN
// ROBERT WITKOWSKI
Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival
Downtown Pensacola
Nov. 6 – 8, 2026
Friday and Saturday
9 a.m.– 5 p.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m.– 4 p.m.
Free Admission
Works of art from painters, sculptors,
jewelry makers, craftsmen with skill sets
from centuries past—even the he Pensacola Symphony—will all gather for the
city's signature food and frivolous fun of
the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival in historic downtown Pensacola, Florida. This
year, the festival welcome artists from
24 states and 1 from Canada. 49 artists
are from Florida and 11 artists are local.
The artists compete juried competition
for a total of $26,000 in prize money. Art
categories including ceramics, drawing, 昀椀ber/leather, glass, jewelry, mixed
media, oil/acrylic, photography, printmaking/graphics, sculpture, watercolor
and wood.
INVITED INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
Textile artist Mandy Bangerter from
the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom is an internationally renown
artist selected as the festival’s In-
ternational
Artist for a
direct cultural exchange
with the Pensacola community.
Bangerter works with
fabrics, print, paint and
photography to layer and
stitch together her images. The artist
studied Visual Communication at University for the Creative Arts in Kent,
United Kingdom, followed by a PGCE
(Postgraduate in Education) at University of Brighton on the southern coast
of England before becoming a teacher
of art and photography. Her work will
be on display during the festival near
the Gazebo in Seville Square.
HISTORIC SKILL SETS
The Heritage Arts Festival allows festival-goers to feel like they have gone back in time
when watching traditional artisans create
handmade crafts in Pensacola’s oldest
established neighborhood. Being the most
historic part of Pensacola, the Heritage Arts
section provides an authentic setting for
craftspeople from around the country to
demonstrate historic arts such as blacksmithing, engraving, spinning, weaving and
other skilled trades.
The Children’s Arts Festival, welcoming
young
aspiring
artists
free of
charge, will
complement
the GGAF in
neighboring Bartram Park. Hands-on
art projects for children along
with an entertainment stage o昀昀ers activities to inspire creativity in future painters,
illustrators, and artisans.
Bartram Park will also host The
Student Art Show will display over 2,000
pieces of art from elementary, middle,
and high school students. The exhibit showcases talented students from
private and public-school students in
Escambia and Santa Rosa counties
MUSIC & CO.
New acts and returning favorites, including the John Common Band, Roman
Street Trio, and the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. They are headlining the
main stage. Local fan faves performing
arts, dance, and musical groups will
perform on the The Parrish Performing
Arts Stage and Children's Stage.
While the festival is free the art and
vendors are not, so plan to patronize
accordingly. ◆
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