Pensacola Fair, concert, fest; ballet receives federal grant

The 75th Pensacola Interstate Fair starts today and continues through Nov. 1.

You can find oodles of information online at pensacolafair.com. I can’t detail all of it here, but here is some to get you started:

Admission is $10 for everyone 12 years old and up, $5 for children 4-11 and free for children 3 and younger. There are lots of special discounts scheduled, such as Military Day (Oct. 26), Senior Citizens Days (Oct. 25 and 28), Kids Days (Oct. 24 and 31) and Family Day (Nov. 1).

Parking is $5.

Entertainment shows are free with admission. They include Saliva at 9 p.m. Friday, Josh Gracin at 8 p.m. Saturday, Cowboy Troy at 7:30 and 9 p.m. Oct. 26, LoCash Cowboys at 8 p.m. Oct. 27, The Bar-Kays at 6:30 and 8 p.m. Oct. 28, Stephen Cochran at 7 and 9 p.m. Oct. 29, Lady Antebellum at 8 p.m. Oct. 30 and Joe Nichols at 8 p.m. Oct. 31.

The fairgrounds are at 6655 W. Mobile Highway. Call 850-944-4500.

This just in: Kelly Clarkson is coming to the Pensacola Civic Center on Dec. 11. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Prices are $49.50 and $39.50 at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets, Charge By Phone (800-745-3000) or on ticketmaster.com.

Eric Hutchison and the band Parachute will also perform.

You may recall that Clarkson eventually canceled her twice-postponed September 2005 concert in Pensacola, first because of Hurricane Dennis then because of personal illness.

This is her “All I Ever Wanted” tour, and here’s hoping her fans get what they want this time.

Another hugely popular Pensacola event is the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival coming up Nov. 6-8 in Seville Square.

More than 200 of the nation’s best artists will compete for $25,000 in cash awards.

In addition to the art, there’s lots of music ranging from Zydeco to classical as well as dance, including folk and ballet.

The Children’s Art Festival is set up in Bartram Park. It’s open on Friday for children with special needs and to everyone on Saturday and Sunday.

Again, your best resource for a complete entertainment lineup and schedules is the Web site: ggaf.org.

Admission to the festival is free as are programs and maps.

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The Northwest Florida Ballet, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, has received a $25,000 grant.

The money came from the Florida Arts Recovery Program through the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs. It’s funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 and the National Endowment for the Arts.

According to the release, NFB is the only dance organization to be awarded the “highly coveted and intensely competitive grant” in Northwest Florida.

The money will provide salary assistance for the artistic faculty of the Northwest Florida Ballet Academie.

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A farewell note: Reporter Robbyn Brooks leaves this week to take a new job with a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. Wednesday was her last day.

Words cannot adequately express how much Robbyn has contributed during her time here, or how dear she is to me personally.

Godspeed, Robbyn.