Sea, Sip & Savor at Pensacola Beach’s Taste of the Beach Festival
October 9-11
Pensacola, Fla. (September 3, 2025) – Get ready for a weekend full of flavor, fun, and coastal flair as the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce presents the annual Taste of the Beach Festival, October 9-11, 2025.
This three-day celebration highlights the very best of Gulf Coast cuisine—from fresh local seafood to southern specialties—along with live entertainment, family-friendly activities, and new experiences for food lovers.
“Taste of the Beach is all about showcasing the amazing talent of our island’s chefs and restaurants,” said Jessica Simpson, President and CEO of the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce. “This year we’re adding even more excitement with a fifth stop on the VIP Trolley Dinner, a brand-new Party Dinner Trolley, and a new post-festival event—Sound Bites—with the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival. It’s set to be our biggest Taste of the Beach yet!”
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9 – Taste of the Beach Coastal Sunset Cruise
Kick off the weekend with an unforgettable evening on the water. The Taste of the Beach Coastal Sunset Cruise boards at 5:30 p.m. from the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk aboard the Premier 1 Dolphin Cruise yacht. Guests will enjoy:
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An open bar featuring beer, wine, and cocktails
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A variety of small plates prepared by Chef Julio Lucero at Coastal, the premier on-property restaurant of Portofino Island Resort.
Tickets are $125 per person (limited availability). New this year is a special complimentary pre-board happy hour from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the Sunset Rooftop at Bounce Beach. Boarding begins promptly at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now, click here.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 - VIP Trolley Dinner Tour
The culinary adventure continues Friday night with an exclusive VIP Trolley Dinner Tour of Pensacola Beach’s award-winning chefs.
Each stop features a carefully curated course with wine pairings prepared by the following chefs:
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Flounder’s Chowder House – Chef Dennis Moore
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Shaggy’s Pensacola Beach – Chef Sean Wheeler
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Salt at Hilton Pensacola Beach – Chef John Key
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Crabs on the Beach – Chef Lou Roberts
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Pensacola Beach Resort – Chef Tiny Gulsby
Traditional Trolley Departure Times: 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m., and 7 p.m.
Guests should arrive to the Pensacola Beach Visitor Information Center at least 15 minutes before departure. Each stop lasts approximately 45 minutes. Late arrivals cannot be accommodated.
Tickets are $150 per person. Due to the fixed menu featuring seafood, substitutions cannot be made for allergies or sensitivities. Tickets are on sale now, click here.
Introducing the new 2025 Party Dinner Trolley!
What used to be the “late trolley” at 7:45 p.m. is now the ultimate VIP Party Dinner Trolley. We’ve teamed up with the Gulf Coast Party Pumper—an open-air firetruck replica trolley—to turn the ride itself into part of the fun.
Kick things off with a 7 p.m. pre-party featuring your first complimentary drink, then climb aboard for the evening’s adventure—starting with dinner at Flounders and continuing through all five dinner trolley stops. With a party DJ on board, music pumping, and a complimentary cocktail served each time you board between dinner stops, the Party Dinner Trolley keeps the energy going all night long.
Seats are limited to just 23 tickets, and with all the extras included, this unforgettable experience is $175 per person. Don’t miss your chance to ride the trolley that’s guaranteed to be the life of Taste of the Beach.
Special Offer: Guests may purchase a combo package for both the Coastal Sunset Cruise and VIP Trolley Dinner for $250* per person—a $25 savings. (*Package excludes VIP Party Dinner Trolley experience.)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 - Main Festival at Casino Beach
Saturday brings the free, family-friendly Taste of the Beach Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Casino Beach’s Gulfside Pavilion. Saturday’s event will be emceed by the one and only Brent Lane with Cat Country 98.7.
Highlights include:
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Signature dishes from 15 Pensacola Beach restaurants, available for a maximum of $10 each
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Live music on the main stage, in partnership with the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival
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Family activities, including hermit crab races and kids’ cooking classes
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Beer, wine, and frozen cocktails for purchase
Introducing the Food Critic Ticket at Taste of the Beach 2025
New to this year’s festival, the Food Critic Ticket offers guests a premier culinary experience. For $125, attendees will receive one small plate from each of the 15 participating restaurant booths, providing a complete sampling of the diverse flavors of Pensacola Beach. Each Food Critic Ticket holder will also receive an official ballot to cast their vote for their favorite dish. The restaurant earning the most votes will be honored with the inaugural People’s Choice Award, a distinction debuting at Taste of the Beach 2025. Tickets are on sale now, click here.
Saturday Schedule:
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10 a.m. – Performance by Dancingly Yours children’s dance troupe
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10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. – Live music by Melo Allen
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11 a.m. – Little Chefs Cooking Class: Crab Cakes with Chef Lou Roberts from Crabs on the Beach ($10)
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12 p.m. – Little Chefs Cooking Class: Ice Cream Sundaes with Chef Tiny Gulsby from The Pensacola Beach Resort ($10)
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12:30 p.m. – Best Signature Dish Award announced on the main stage
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1:30 p.m. – Hermit Crab Racing
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2 p.m. – Live music on stage with Pearl Clarkin & Co., courtesy of the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival
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4 p.m. – Taste of the Beach festival ends and transitions to Sound Bites event.
Introducing Sound Bites!
New this year, the celebration keeps going with Sound Bites—a post-festival event in partnership with the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival. From 5–7 p.m. at the Gulfside Pavilion stage, enjoy live music from singer-songwriters Josh Garrett, Mike Soussan, Tyron Benoit, Billy Droze, Gary Nichols, Wes Sheffield, and Kensie Coppin, paired with coastal flavors from Crabs on the Beach, Flounders, Salt at the Hilton Pensacola Beach, Shaggy’s, and the Pensacola Beach Resort. More information can be found at pensacolabeachsongwritersfestival.com
About Taste of the Beach
Taste of the Beach is one of several festivals and events presented by the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce, inc. The Beach Chamber is a not-for-profit corporation committed to promoting, advancing and stimulating civic, business, commercial interests and the general welfare of Pensacola Beach.
The 2025 Taste of the Beach is sponsored by Innisfree Hotels, the Santa Rosa Island Authority, Florida Power & Light, Community Bank, Gulf Breeze Natural Gas, Cintas, BELLA Magazine, The Pensacola Beach Resort, Crabs on the Beach, Flounders, Shaggy’s, Salt and Bamboo Willies Beachside Bar.