28th annual Pensacola Seafood Festival Sept. 23-25

The Fiesta of Five Flags Association invites one and all to the 28th Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival September 2325 in the Seville Square area of historic Downtown Pensacola.

You and your family will enjoy a weekend of continuous entertainment, family activities, the finest and freshest seafood dishes and one of the Southeast’s largest arts and crafts shows all in one location! Admission is free. The Pensacola Seafood Festival has been recognized as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society for 2005.

As always, fresh Gulf Coast seafood will be the highlight of the weekend. Twenty food vendors, many favorites from past festivals and some new ones, will offer a wide assortment of traditional and gourmet selections. Choices include alligator skewers, fried shrimp, crawfish...something for everything.

In addition to great food, the Pensacola Seafood Festival is the perfect opportunity to purchase that unique item for home or holiday gift giving. Browse among the 190 specially selected arts and crafts vendors exhibiting their wares at the Arts and Crafts area. Pottery, ceramics, stained glass, handcrafted furniture and unique garden items are only some of the truly distinctive items available.

Bartram Park, located on Pensacola Bay, transforms on Saturday and Sunday into an area that will delight children of all ages. “A Child’s Place”, sponsored by the Pensacola News Journal, will feature family friendly activities such as puppet shows, hands-on arts and crafts projects, games and train rides.

Another popular event, the Seafood Grille, coordinated by Energy Services of Pensacola, will be located at the west side of Seville Square.

On Friday evening student chefs from Pensacola Junior College Culinary Management will make their debut demonstrating how to prepare delicious seafood recipes.

On Saturday and Sunday join acclaimed area chefs as they demonstrate the preparation of their favorite seafood recipe. Special edition cookbooks featuring selected recipes will be available at the Grille site during the weekend.

On Sunday, September 25 from 2-4 p.m. the 1st Annual Wines of Seafood will premiere. Be on hand near the Seafood Grille area to sample some new and unique wine presented by the wine experts of N Goldring. Tickets are $15 per person, and are available pre-festival at the Fiesta office. Sales are limited so be sure to get your ticket early!

The Pensacola Seafood Festival 5K Run/Walk will be Saturday, September 24. This race is sponsored in part by the Pensacola Runner’s Association and is one of the most competitive races in the area. For more race information visit www.pensacolarunners.com .

The mission of the Fiesta of Five Flags Association is to celebrate our heritage, promote tourism, and build pride in Pensacola through festive activities which enhance the quality of life in our Community. For more information, call the Fiesta office 850/433-6512 or visit www.fiestaoffiveflags.org.