St. Patrick’s Day, March 17

The purple and gold of Mardi Gras quickly give way to the green of St. Patrick’s Day. The Gulf coast puts on pub crawls, green bikini contests, green beer, run/walk events and more to honor the good deeds of one Patrick from Ireland.

Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire, March 3-4

This event at Pensacola Fairgrounds features the only real live jousting on horseback with medieval knights in full armor anywhere on the Gulf Coast! The two-day festival will also feature Falconry, the King and Queen, Swashbuckling Swordsmen, Storytellers, Arabian Dancers, Gypsy Dancers, Magical Wizards and much more.

Pensacola Maritime and Pirate Festival, March 10-11

The City of Pensacola will host the 1st annual Maritime Festival downtown at Plaza de Luna. The festival will celebrate Pensacola’s maritime history, past, present and future. There will be nautical themed entertainment, live music, tall ships and vessel tours, vendors, kids events, treasure hunt, pirates and reenactments and a boat load full of family fun.

Destin Cobia Tournament, March 2

The 16th Annual Destin Cobia Tournament presented by HarborWalk Marina is a month long event that attracts hundreds of anglers from Northwest Florida. The kick-off party is Friday, March 2 in Emerald Grande Ballroom at 7 p.m. Entry forms and rules available at www.destincobiatournament.com.