Wahoos Octoberfest Is Month-Long Array Of Popular Community Events 

The field transformation at Blue Wahoos Stadium into a football venue has ushered another change, which has evolved in recent years.

It’s now viewed in a different realm as a fall events place.

From the annual Soul Bowl youth football event on Saturday (Oct. 2), it begins the stadium’s own version of an Octoberfest.

Events in the month include a specialty Bingo Night on Oct. 7, the First City Art Center Pumpkin Patch on Oct. 9, a first-time appearance by the Nitro Circus motorcycle stunt riders on Oct. 14, the Light Up Learning gala on Oct. 21, a Halloween weekend event (Oct. 29), along with University of West Florida football games on Oct 16 and Oct .23, plus high school homecoming parties.

“There’s not a weekend -- from now until the end of the year -- that we don’t have something going on,” said Shannon Reeves, the Blue Wahoos events manager. “Either on a Friday, a Saturday, a Sunday or on multiple days the same weekend.

“I see more people interested in booking something at the stadium. It’s become a place where a lot of people can get together in a safe way.”

It’s now approaching 20 months into the coronavirus pandemic and its effect and reshape of the entertainment and sports world. After making a quick pivot a year ago in a 2020 summer without baseball, the Blue Wahoos have continued to find the ballpark viewed as a safe haven for events.

A full October calendar at the stadium is proof of that.

“COVID showed us a lot about what we can do here,” said Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith. “We were doing movie nights, dinner nights, bingo nights, trivia nights (in 2020) and I think it gives people an option during COVID as far as having a place to go that is outdoors and a safe environment.

“I think that is still a thing for us. Especially among a lot of non-profit organizations, who are having their events here. You don’t get any more open air than Blue Wahoos Stadium.

“Even in our version of a suite area, the Hancock Whitney Club, it is open air. So no matter where you are, as far as a event, this is a great place to have that. And having Shannon Reeves to drive that has been great.”

Whether it’s through baseball games or special events without connection to sports, the stadium has provided the Blue Wahoos options to meet the quest for year-round activities.

It is something baseball team owners Quint and Rishy Studer wanted to ensure when pitching a multiuse stadium project more than a decade ago.

“Quint built the stadium as a community space and my job is to keep it a community space and pack these events in here,” Reeves said. “With our Blue Wahoos staff, we have all these fantastic minds coming together about. ‘let’s do this or have that.’

“Just super creative minds in the community to bring these events to our stadium.”

The First City Art Center Pumpkin Patch event moved to Blue Wahoos Stadium last year. Thousands of pumpkins were sold. It was the first time all pumpkins were sold. This year, a couple thousand people are expected for the day-long Oct. 9 event.

“I started here four years ago, and really not a lot of people knew about our events,” Reeves said. “In the last four years our team has come together and we’ve turned the stadium into a space where we’re holding everything under the sun here.

“And with that comes different audiences. When you host a variety of events, it brings a variety of new eyes, new audiences and this new awareness of, ‘Oh my gosh, look at what they can do here.’

“So it’s not just seen as a baseball stadium. We’ve really worked to make it a year-round events center.”

WAHOOS OCTOBERFEST

Biggest public events in October at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Oct. 2 – Soul Bowl Youth Football (All day).

Oct. 7 – Bingo Night (6-10 p.m.)

Oct. 9 – First City Art Center Pumpkin Patch (2-6 p.m.)

Oct. 14 – Nitro Circus (7-9:30 p.m.)

Oct. 16 – UWF Football Homecoming Game vs. West Georgia (4 p.m.)

Oct. 21 – Light Up Learning Fundraiser Gala (5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.)

Oct. 23 – UWF Football vs. Shorter (4 p.m.)

Oct. 29 – Halloween Trick-or-Treat, Movie Night, Fireworks (5 p.m.-9 p.m.).

Tickets/Info: www.bluewahoos.com and www.goargos.com.