Blue Wahoos Return An Early New Year’s Eve Party To Ballpark

The Blue Wahoos are providing a New Year’s Eve experience, family style.

For the first time in six years, Blue Wahoos Stadium will host “Kazoo’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party,” an event on Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. that will feature renowned country music artist Jessie Ritter, inflatable games on the field and a fireworks show to culminate the night at 8 p.m.

Admission is $5 per-person. The event features full access to the field and concourse areas. There will be food and beverages available for purchase at the storefront concession areas. The GoTeez Bait & Tackle team merchandise store will also be open selling special items.

There will be other activities as well to create a festive scene.

“The beauty of our event is that you can come here, spend family time, and if you want to go out to dinner or stay out later, you can do so right downtown,” said Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith. “For us, we’re providing family time to ring in the New Year and the kids get to be a part of it and feel they had a New Year’s Eve experience.”

In 2017 and 2018, the Blue Wahoos hosted a New Year’s Eve event that featured the Pelican Drop, after it was no longer happening on Palafox Street. There will not be a Pelican Drop this time.

As Griffith explained, the setup and operation of the Pelican Drop were cost prohibitive.

“Our mission is to always seek to improve quality of the life in the community, but wanting to reach a break-even number as well in doing so,” Griffith said. “We can’t take a financial loss for a New Year’s Eve celebration.

“But we decided this year to have a New Year’s Eve event with fireworks, music and without a Pelican Drop.”

Ritter, a Missouri native, who now lives in Pensacola and Nashville, released her first album, “Coffee Every Morning” in 2018 and her career was launched from that point.

Her single, “Home” in 2020, soared to No. 1 on The Country Network Top 20 countdown and the acclaim has continued these past four years. She has won numerous awards.

”We’re so excited to have Jessie perform at our stadium on New Year’s Eve,” said Shannon Hannah, the Blue Wahoos events manager. “It’s special.

“And I think anywhere you want to look, you can find a midnight New Year’s Eve ball drop or countdown of some sort,” Hannah said. “We’re known as a family-friendly, community stadium and we’re continuing that tradition on New Year’s Eve.

“There are so many families that try and celebrate it with their children. I know, and I’ve done it, turning the clock and having my kids think it was midnight, so we can celebrate. That’s what we are doing here.”

The Blue Wahoos’ event also enables kids to run the bases on the field, families to play in the outfield, as well as have photos taken at a photo booth set up for the New Year. Just prior to 8 p.m., there will be a countdown and launch of a fireworks show above the outfield from Pensacola Bay.

“We see this as a fun way for parents to bring their little kids who want to experience the fun, who want to do the countdown, and who want to be part of New Year’s Eve,” Hannah said. “They can’t stay up, of course, until midnight, so we are giving families the opportunity to enjoy this early kind of New Year’s Eve event.”

Griffith hopes the return of a New Year’s Eve event and the promise of good weather will encourage families to enjoy the stadium in a whole different way. The combination of food, live music, inflatables, fireworks creates a unique experience the ballpark can provide.

This event concludes a busy December at the stadium that has featured three private Christmas parties, a youth league baseball showcase event, as well as the Blue Wahoos staff participating in two Christmas parades.

“If we can provide something that is not really out there for the community, that is what we’re trying to do,” Griffith said. “We’re not trying to compete with any other New Year’s Eve events that are happening, but what we are trying to do is creating some buzz for downtown earlier in the evening, have more people downtown, which can help everybody.

“We’ll have a three hour event for people to come and have a great time with their kids, while still having option to enjoy the later portion of New Year’s Eve.”

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Kazoo’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party

WHO: Award-winning country music artist Jesse Ritter

WHEN: Dec. 31, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium

ADMISSION: $5 per-person

PARKING: Free

ACTIVITIES: In addition to musical performances by Jesse Ritter, there will be on-field inflatables for children, complete on-field access for everyone, along with a 2025 New Year’s photo area for families. At 8 p.m., there will be a New Year’s style countdown before launch of fireworks over the water behind the centerfield wall.

FOOD/BEVERAGES: Available for purchase at two storefront locations on the concourse. There will be both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages for adults for purchase as well.

TICKETS: Available for purchase at www.bluewahoos.com as well as walk-up ticket purchases on Dec. 31.