This week in Pensacola: Fri Oct 30 – Thu Nov 5

It's Halloween weekend, the fair wraps up Sunday, and Wednesday night downtown lights up for the holidays, so this is a fun week to be out.

Times are what the organizers had posted as of Thursday afternoon. Some things are still getting shuffled after Isaias, so check before you drive.

Foo Foo Festival — Downtown Pensacola and around town, through Nov 9. It's a 12-day arts festival with music, theater and art all over the city.

Lightspill — Outside the Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox Place. Through Nov 9. Free. Hundreds of mirrored spheres look like they're pouring off the old courthouse building, and it's worth walking past any day this week.

Side Show (PenArts) — The Gordon, 306 N. DeVilliers St. Fri 10/30 7:30 PM, Sun 11/1 2:30 PM, Tue–Thu 11/3–11/5 7:30 PM. The musical about the Hilton sisters, with a live band. There's a free outdoor setup with music and games before each show, ticket or not.

Ice Flyers $5 Night vs Macon Mayhem — Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 7:05 PM. Five dollars covers select seats, not the whole arena, so buy early.

Giant Robot screening (HizashiCon) — 4–6 PM, free tickets on Eventbrite, then trivia at Coastal Cat Café, 1508 W. Garden St., at 6 PM.

Fair: Open 4 PM–1 AM.

Taste of the Beach Festival — Gulfside Pavilion, Casino Beach, Pensacola Beach. 10 AM–4 PM. Free to get in, and signature dishes from 16 beach restaurants are $10 or less each. Kids' cooking classes at 11 and noon, Best Signature Dish award at 12:30 and hermit crab races at 1:30. If you want to try everything, the Food Critic's Ticket gets you a plate from every restaurant.

Palafox Market — MLK Jr. Plaza and Plaza Ferdinand, downtown. 9 AM–2 PM. Free to browse, every Saturday, rain or shine.

HizashiCon Anime Festival — First United Methodist Church, 6 E. Wright St. Convention 10 AM–6 PM, concert 6:30–8:30 PM. Cosplay contest, gaming tournaments and an artist alley, and costumes are encouraged since it's Halloween.

Fair: Open 11 AM–midnight.

Last day of the Pensacola Interstate Fair — Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway. 11 AM–10 PM. It's "Last Blast" Family Day, so admission is $7 for everybody 4 and up and 3 and under are free. Unlimited-ride handstamp is $32 and parking is $10. The exhibit buildings are closed today.

Carnival of the Animals (Ballet Pensacola) — Pensacola Little Theatre, Clark Family Cultural Center, 400 S. Jefferson St. 11 AM and 2 PM. Giant animal puppets, young dancers and a Parade of Animals the audience gets to join.

Taste of the Beach Island Hopper Brunch Trolley — Pensacola Beach Visitor Information Center. Meet at 10 AM, trolleys leave at 10:30. $75.

HizashiCon — First United Methodist Church. 1–6 PM.

Carnival of the Animals — Pensacola Little Theatre. 1 PM and 5:30 PM.

Mahjong at the Port — Portside Pickle, 740 Commendencia St. 6–9 PM. $20, beginners welcome, reserve through the Portside Pickle app.

Election Day — Polls are open 7 AM–7 PM. Check your polling place with the Supervisor of Elections before you go.

Carnival of the Animals — Pensacola Little Theatre. 5:30 PM, the last show.

Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony — In front of the Pensacola Museum of History, Palafox St. Santa shows up at 3:30 PM for photos, and at 5 PM more than half a million lights come on along Palafox. Winterfest's mini-train circles Plaza Ferdinand 5–8 PM. Free.

Palafox Market Holiday Lights Edition — Plaza Ferdinand. 3:30–8 PM. Local gifts, baked goods and art.

10th Annual Holiday Haul — Downtown shops along Palafox. 5–8 PM. Holiday open house with live music, pop-ups and free trolley rides.

Rock the Runway: Living Art — Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. 7 PM. Pensacola Opera mixes fashion and opera. Ticketed.

Comedy Open Mic — Talk to the Moon, back of Mathieson Brewing, 500 E. Heinberg St. 7–9 PM. Free, comic sign-ups at 6:30.

Live Music at The Rooftop — 400 S. Jefferson St., 4th floor. 6–8 PM, every Thursday.

Coming up: The Blue Angels Homecoming is Nov 6–7, and the Pensacola Symphony plays Mozart and Bizet at the Saenger on Saturday, Nov 7 at 7:30 PM.

Every Thursday. Follow along on Instagram.