Pensacola Winterfest kicks off Friday with a 'Whobilation': Everything you need to know.

From Staff Reports

November 14, 2022 at 9:14 AM·4 min read

Downtown Pensacola will transform into Christmas central on Friday as Pensacola Winterfest starts the holiday season with five weeks of song, dance, arts and crafts.

The celebration kicks off Friday with a Whobilation as Gallery Night turns into Grinch Night, with a Grinch tree lighting at 5:15 p.m. behind Artel Gallery. Pensacola Winterfest runs Nov. 20, 25-27 and Dec. 2, 3, 9, 11, 16-18, 20-24.

Free pre-shows in the Winterfest plaza at Government and Palafox streets are available every night of the event from Friday to Dec. 24, including visits with Santa and the Grinch.

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Visitors can also purchase tickets for Photos with Santa, Photos with the Grinch, the Polar Express Tour, Grinch Tour, Cajun Christmas and Scrooge Tour.

Purchase tickets at pensacolawinterfest.org.

Polar Express Tour

The Polar Express tour begins with a musical show on the courthouse steps where tap-dancing servers will give everyone a cup of hot cocoa. The conductor of the Polar Express will lead everyone aboard an open-air tram to embark along a 20-minute journey to the Polar Express. During the ride, you'll be delighted by musical performances and exciting effects along the way.

Scrooge Tour

The Scrooge tour takes you through the classic tale A Christmas Carol! You and your family will get a chance to encounter the stingy businessman Ebenezer Scrooge, his dead business partner Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future! Experience this spooky Christmas tale as you, along with Ebenezer, learn to hold Christmas in your heart and keep it all the year!

Grinch Tour

The Grinch tour will introduce you and your party to many classic Seussian characters such as Thing 1 & Thing 2, the Mayor of Whoville, Martha May Whoveir, and, of course, the Grinch himself! The Whoville Fire Department is ready with an emergency exit slide just in case something goes wrong!

Cajun Christmas Experience

The Cajun Christmas Experience is a performance experience in the Historic Village. At the village, you will disembark the trolley to a performance featuring Papa Noel, the Cajun Santa Claus. From there you will be free to roam the village, visit the museum, play a scavenger hunt, or dance to a live jug band. Cajun treats will be available for purchase on site. There is no limit to how long you can stay at the village, but trolleys will pick up guests to ride back to the courthouse every 30 minutes, the final ride arriving at 8 p.m.

Christmas Week

Scrooge and Tiny Tim return for a special tour Dec. 21-25 featuring ghosts and good cheer.

Take part in the classic tale A Christmas Carol as you meet Scrooge, Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Begin at the steps of the old courthouse for a free preshow, where you will encounter Ebenezer Scrooge's long-deceased partner Jacob Marley.

During the paid 25-minute tour, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future show Scrooge how he became so callous to others, what others think of him now and how much they suffer while he refuses to help, and what will become of him if he doesn't change his ways immediately. Throughout this mystical and terrifying night, Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and how to honor it in his heart and keep it all the year! Once Scrooge realizes that his fortune isn't as important as he once thought, he gives away his collection of chocolate gold coins to the children on the trolley.

After the tour, guests have the opportunity to get your photo with the Ghost of Christmas Future. He waits in front of a tombstone with your own personalized epitaph. Choose between 10 different epitaph layouts for each trolley-goer: Just fill in the names of your party and pick the epitaph for each person after you book your tickets.

Pensacola Elf Parade & Christmas Jubilee

Pensacola Elf Parade & Christmas Jubilee is Nov. 25 starting with a Christmas Market at 11 a.m. The parade starts at 2 p.m., with the Christmas Jubilee at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets and tour times

Pensacola Winterfest runs Nov. 20, 25-27 and Dec. 2, 3, 9, 11, 16-18, 20-24.

The first performance is at 5 p.m. Friday nights, and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday nights, with a new performance every 15 minutes until 8 p.m.

The past several years, tours and photo times have sold out in advance, so reservations are strongly recommended to ensure a seat. When seats are available, tickets for the next available performance every night of Pensacola Winterfest can be purchased at dispatch, where the trolleys board.