Summer Things to Do This Week in Pensacola
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August 17 - 23, 2026)
School is back, but there is still plenty of summer left around Pensacola.
This week brings free live music on Pensacola Beach, six days of Blue Wahoos baseball, Gallery Night downtown and a busy Saturday with Island Fights and Vince Gill. August is also still a great time to get on the water, whether you want to look for dolphins, snorkel around Pensacola Bay or spend an afternoon at Fort McRee.
Here are some of the best things to do around Pensacola and Pensacola Beach this week.
See Paperchase at Bands on the Beach
Tuesday, August 18
7 PM to 9 PM
Gulfside Pavilion
Pensacola Beach
Bands on the Beach continues Tuesday with New Orleans party band Paperchase at the Gulfside Pavilion.
The free concert mixes rock, country, pop, hip hop and more into a high energy show overlooking the Gulf. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and make an evening out of it on Pensacola Beach. Pets and glass are not permitted.
Catch a Blue Wahoos Game
Tuesday, August 18 through Sunday, August 23
Blue Wahoos Stadium
Downtown Pensacola
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are home for six straight days this week as the Knoxville Smokies come to town.
The series begins Tuesday at 6:05 PM and continues through Sunday, giving you several chances to catch baseball along the Pensacola Bay waterfront.
Take a Dolphin Cruise on Pensacola Beach
Available throughout the week
Pensacola Beach
Trade the beach chair for a boat ride and spend a couple of hours looking for dolphins around Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay.
Frisky Mermaid operates its dolphin cruise aboard a 52 foot vessel with room to spread out while the crew shares local information and helps passengers spot dolphins and other coastal wildlife. Cruises generally last around 1.5 to 2 hours.
Book a Frisky Mermaid Dolphin Cruise
Go Snorkeling Around Pensacola Bay
Available throughout the week
Pensacola Beach
You do not have to travel to South Florida to spend an afternoon snorkeling.
Jolly Sailing offers guided snorkeling trips around Pensacola Bay and Santa Rosa Sound. Trips visit shallow snorkeling areas, typically around three to four feet deep, and include snorkeling equipment and instruction, making this a good option even for beginners.
Trips generally last around two to two and a half hours.
Book a Pensacola snorkeling trip
Head Downtown for Gallery Night and a Car Show
Friday, August 21
5 PM to 9 PM
Palafox Street
Downtown Pensacola
Gallery Night takes over Palafox Street Friday with the Rusty Knuckle Torque Club Car Show.
The monthly downtown event combines art, music, food, local businesses and this month’s automotive theme along Palafox Street between Main and Garden streets. Gallery Night runs from 5 to 9 PM and admission is free.
See our Gallery Night Car Show guide
Spend the Day at Fort McRee
Available throughout the week
Pensacola Beach
If you want something closer to a true Gulf Coast boat day, book a private charter to Fort McRee.
Located near Pensacola Pass, the Fort McRee area is known for sandy shoreline, clear water and spots where boats anchor for swimming and relaxing.
Pensacola Beach Boat Charters offers trips that can include Fort McRee, sandbars, dolphin watching, snorkeling and other stops around the Pensacola waterways.
Make Date Night a Private Dinner Cruise
Available throughout the week
Pensacola Beach
Instead of another restaurant reservation, take dinner onto the water.
Pensacola Beach Boat Charters offers private catered dinner cruises for small groups, with 1.5 hour and 3 hour options. Guests select their meals before departure and dinner is waiting aboard when they arrive.
The private setting makes it an easy option for date night, birthdays, anniversaries or a night out with a few friends.
Book a Pensacola Beach dinner cruise
See our full dinner cruise guide
Take the Kids to Junior Ranger Day at Fort Pickens
Saturday, August 22
9 AM to 4 PM
Fort Pickens
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Junior Ranger Day gives families another reason to head out toward Fort Pickens Saturday.
A free saltwater fishing program will take place at the Fort Pickens Fishing Pier from 9 AM to noon, where participants can earn a Junior Ranger Angler badge. Additional Junior Ranger Day activities continue through 4 PM.
See Island Fights at the Pensacola Bay Center
Saturday, August 22
Doors at 5:30 PM
Fights begin at 6:30 PM
Pensacola Bay Center
Island Fights returns to the Pensacola Bay Center Saturday with Island Fights 57: The Forgotten Show.
Doors open at 5:30 PM and the fights begin at 6:30 PM. Tickets currently start at $26.
See Vince Gill at the Saenger Theatre
Saturday, August 22
7:30 PM
Saenger Theatre
Downtown Pensacola
Vince Gill brings his 50 Years From Home Tour to downtown Pensacola Saturday night.
The tour marks 50 years since Gill left Oklahoma to pursue a career in music and arrives at the Saenger Theatre for a 7:30 PM performance.
Watch Lincoln at the Saenger Theatre
Sunday, August 23
3 PM
Saenger Theatre
Downtown Pensacola
Finish the week inside the historic Saenger Theatre with the final August installment of its Summer Movie Series.
Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln will be shown Sunday afternoon at 3 PM. The historical drama runs approximately 150 minutes.
Find More Things to Do Around Pensacola
The school year may have started, but Pensacola still has several weeks of warm weather, beach days and summer activities ahead.
From boat trips and snorkeling to concerts, festivals, sporting events and family activities, there is plenty happening throughout the area.
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