It's the time of year when Pensacola celebrates one of its most popular attributes — the saucy, spicy, blackened, sometimes fried, Gulf Coast seafood that folks love nationwide.

Sure, there are other ways we love our seafood prepared and you'll find many of the area's favorite offerings at the Pensacola Seafood Festival. The popular annual event will be Friday through Sunday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, in downtown Pensacola with festivities across three parks — Seville Square, Fountain Park and Bartram Park.

The family friendly festival, now in its 40th year, is one of Pensacola's largest, regularly attracting between 80,000 to 100,000 people, depending on the weather.

"Even on weekends when we've had bad weather, we still get about 80,000 people,'' said Margaret-Anne West, Pensacola Seafood Festival marketing coordinator. "People love Gulf Coast seafood, so they come out rain or shine."

Archive:Quick Bites: Set your sights on the Seafood Festival

The Pensacola Seafood Festival is produced by Fiesta of Five Flags Inc. and is designed to be a celebration of Pensacola and Gulf Coast seafood.

There will be dozens of seafood vendors at the festival selling fried, steamed and broiled dishes. But one culinary highlight of the festival is Gulf to Table, where 12 area restaurants offer some of their most popular menu items.

Gulf to Table participants include The Fish House, Nick's Boathouse, Chet's Seafood, Flounder's Chowder House, Nancy's Haute Affairs, Sam's Seafood and a half-dozen more.

"We're going to have fish tacos — and the fish is amberjack,'' said Charlie Slayton, general manager of Nick's Boathouse on Main Street. "And we're also serving our fish and grits and having a shrimp boil."

He said Nick's Boathouse has been participating since 2013.

"We get a great return,'' Slayton said. "The first year especially. We were almost shocked at the response. We had people stop by the booth that day and then come to the restaurant that night. It's pretty cool."

Archive:Pensacola Seafood Festival need-to-know info

Another popular culinary feature of the festival is the Fiesta Seafood Grille, where local chefs will demonstrate how to re-create some of their best and most-popular dishes. There will be cooking demonstrations throughout each day of the festival.

But food is just one part of the event. There will be more than 150 art vendors on site selling everything from paintings to jewelry to home decor and more.

There is also a children's area with face painting, arts and crafts, touch pools, hermit crab races, and an obstacle course.

The Pensacola Seafood Festival also offers a full musical lineup, with performers including Brooke Eden, the London Souls and Leah Seawright.

"There's just so much to do and so much food,'' said West, 25. "I used to come out here as a kid because my parents were volunteers and I always loved it."

Her favorite Gulf Coast seafood dish?

The always popular Grits a Ya Ya from the Fish House. The restaurant will be offering their famous shrimp and grits dish at the Gulf to Table area.

"They know how to do it,'' she said of The Fish House. "But all our Gulf to Table participants are loved locally."

Want to go?

WHAT: Pensacola Seafood Festival

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Historic Seville Square, Fountain Park and Bartram Park in downtown Pensacola

COST: Free admission

DETAILS: www.pensacolaseafoodfestival.com

Entertainment

Friday

5:30 p.m. – Troy Cartwright

7:30 p.m. – Trea Landon

9:30 p.m. – Brooke Eden

Saturday

5 p.m. – Blues Old Stand

7:30 p.m. – Jordan Davis

9 p.m. – The London Souls

Sunday

1:30 p.m. – Tyler Livingston and the Absolutes

3:30 p.m. – Leah Seawright

Gulf to Table

The Gulf to Table area in Fountain Park will feature local restaurants and caterers that will serve tapas-sized portions of their signature dishes. Participants of this year’s Gulf to Table include:

Boneheads Fire Grilled

Chet’s Seafood

City Grocery

The Fish House

Fisherman’s Corner

Flounder’s Chowder House

Grayton Seafood Co.

Nancy’s Haute Affairs

Nick’s Boathouse

Sam’s Seafood, Steaks & Spirits

Sons of Italy Buona Fortuna Lodge

SouthPaw Grill

Fiesta Seafood Grille

The Fiesta Seafood Grille, presented by Pensacola Energy, will be located in Fountain Park. It features cooking demonstrations by local celebrity chefs preparing their favorite seafood cuisine.

Friday

5:30p.m. – Kitchen at Wind Creek

Saturday

12 p.m. – Broussard’s Bayou Catering

1 p.m. – V. Paul’s Italian Ristorante

2 p.m. – The Fish House

3 p.m. – Sam’s Seafood

4 p.m. – Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille

5 p.m. – Kitchen at Wind Creek

Sunday

12 p.m. – Classic City Catering

1 p.m. – Pensacola Cooks Kitchen

2 p.m. – Culinary Productions

3 p.m. – Skopelos at New World

Feeding the Gulf Coast

The Pensacola Seafood Festival has partnered with Feeding the Gulf Coast for a second year. Festival-goers are encouraged to bring nonperishable items/canned goods or monetary donations to support the cause and visit the Feeding the Gulf Coast booth in Seville Square.