The Florida SpringFest is a three-day annual showcase in

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

acts, both local and national, in downtown

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

. The Florida SpringFest is traditionally held anywhere from mid-May until early June. The event was founded in 1991, when Pensacola businessman Bill Dollarhide funded much of the expense out of his own pocket so up-and-coming local acts could reach a wider audience. In turn, part of the revenues were given to the

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Foundation, to which Dollarhide donated regularly. The festival regularly donated parts of its proceeds to nonprofit groups. In the years since, Dollarhide turned the management over to a board of directors and full-time staff. Under the direction of Michelle Sarra and Geoff Fairchild, the event grew to sell-out crowds as they decided to incorporate bigger names to bring more crowds. The novelty of SpringFest is its setting right in the heart of downtown. For all three days, multiple blocks are cordoned off to cars, and large stages are set up on street corners. Multiple acts play at any given time throughout the day, with the best-known acts saved for evening performances. The anticipation for SpringFest is large in the community, with the ''

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'' dedicating an entire issue of their ''Weekender'' lifestyles magazine to the event. In 2004, new management moved the festival to an indoor location. They reverted the move the following year, but could not recoup profits, and the festival was not held after 2006.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Florida SpringFest Rock festivals in the United States Festivals in Florida Tourist attractions in Pensacola, Florida Blues festivals in the United States Country music festivals in the United States 1990 establishments in Florida Recurring events established in 1990