Editor’s Corner
CONTENTS
In December, there are pretty much two types of people: the holiday haters, and the gleeful holiday zealots. In my early twenties, I fell into the former camp. I was a budding philosophy student with a newfound obsession with Karl Emily Lullo Marx and I attended Christmas dinner that year in a drab editor brown frock in protest of the rampant consumerism that surrounded the holiday. I was adorably jaded. Now in my more mature mid-twenties, I’ve reverted to the unbridled joy of a sixyear-old during the holidays. But my childlike glee this year is accompanied by my adult tendency to stay organized (or at least try to), and I do that with lists. Lists of things I want to cook for the holidays (my aunt Cathy’s drop cakes), stories I want to reread (A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote), movies I want to watch (A Muppet Christmas Carol and Home Alone), and gifts I want to buy or make for my loved ones. There’s also a long list of events I cannot miss in order to get the full breadth of the holiday experience, and they’re all happening Downtown. First on my list is Winterfest. This growing event is a Downtown tradition, kicking off with the Elf Parade in November and including performance tours with talented singers and themed vignettes and an expanded Winterland Plaza on Palafox. There’s more to do than ever at this year’s edition of Winterfest, and you can get all the details from our guide starting on page 19. Also this year I will definitely be checking out the Blue Wahoos Winter Wonderland at the stadium for some ice skating, tobogganing, and local musical performers and artists from First City Arts Center. Ice skating with the sun setting over the bay in the background—how cool is that?! We’ve got more details on page 35. Also on my winter list is running in the Pensacola Christmas Parade Dash, going to more Ice Flyers games, avoiding the mall insanity and buying gifts from local retailers, and wistfully looking out my office window at the shiny decorations adorning the street lamps. Ah, Christmas! Of course, I’ll cap off the year with tens of thousands of other revelers at the Downtown Countdown and Pelican Drop. I’ve gone every year since its inception and had a blast each time. But let me enjoy Contact me at the gluttony and indulgence of Emily@Ballinger Publishing.com or write to Christmas before I think about P.O. Box 12665, 2013, OK? Pensacola, FL 32591-2665.
Have Something To Say?
4. Downtown Improvement Board 6. Art • Music • Theatre 11. ChatterBox
Executive Editor Kelly Oden Editor Emily Lullo Art Director Rita Laymon Graphic Designer and Ad Coordinator Kassie McLean kassie@ballingerpublishing.com
12. Dateline Downtown
Editorial Assistant Josh Newby Editorial Intern Christienne Cloutier
13. Word on the Street
Graphic Intern Kathryne Yance
15. Christmas Parade 17. Winterfest Guide 22. Business Profile Mickey’Z Beauty Villa 25. Pelican Drop Ushers in the New Year 26. Film 28. ChowDownTown Polonza 30. Historic District 33. Blue Wahoos Winter Wonderland 35. Faces in the Crowd
2 The DTC • December 2012 • www.downtowncrowd.com
Publisher Malcolm Ballinger
On the cover: Artwork by Kassie McLean
Advertising Account Executives Caroline Martin caroline@ballingerpublishing.com Sharyon Miller sharyon@ballingerpublishing.com Contributing Writers Sandra Ward DIB Executive Director Sandra Ward DIB Board Members Burney Merrill – Chairman Ed Carson – Vice Chairman Bob Van Slyke – Treasurer Evan Levin Corbett Davis, Jr. Deadline for space and information is the 15th of the month prior to publication. For advertising rates or news tips contact Phone: 433-1166 • Fax: 435-9174 DOWNTOWN CROWD is published monthly in cooperation with the Downtown Improvement Board, 41 N. Jefferson St., Suite 401, Pensacola, Florida 32502 by Ballinger Publishing. Offices located at 41 N. Jefferson St., Suite 402, Pensacola, Florida 32502. PUBLISHED BY BALLINGER PUBLISHING:
Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing. © 2012