Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival

The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is an annual three-day, juried art show in historic Seville Square in downtown Pensacola, Florida. The Festival is held the first full weekend in November. Each year, it draws more than 200 painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, graphic artists, craftsmen, mixed-media artists and others competing for $25,000 in cash awards.

The Festival features an Heritage Arts area, where craftspeople from around the country provide demonstrations of crafts from the past, including blacksmithing, engraving, spinning, weaving and other time-honored traditions.

Live musicians are featured on two stages. The Pensacola Symphony and Pensacola Opera performances most years. Other performances range from of bluegrass, Cajun and blues to instrumental guitar. The performing arts stage showcases theater, folk and ballet dance.

The Children's Arts Festival features numerous hands-on artistic opportunities for children at no cost to parents. Projects include face painting, clay play, a flower shop, button creations, sand art, sidewalk art, and a magical balloon show. There is glitter, glue, sequins and more for children to create their own mini-masterpieces such as masks, crowns, magic wands, and jewelry.

Bartram Park is also home to the annual Student Art Show, which showcases the talents of private and public school students in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Over 2,000 pieces of art from elementary, middle and high school students is displayed.

Food and beverages are available from a variety of vendors, including area restaurants.

Admission to the festival is free. The Festival's official web site is: [http://www.ggaf.org www.ggaf.org] .