Pensacola 2013 Pelican Drop - Downtown Pensacola

It’s hard to believe, but another year has come and gone, and it’s time once again for Pensacola’s Pelican Drop Celebration! It’s the premiere New Year’s event on the Gulf Coast, and it happens right in our backyard. Patrons, residents, and visitors from all over the southeast will be lining Palafox Street in Downtown Pensacola, and this year promises to be the best ever!

The countdown celebration to 2013 will be kicking off at 5:00 PM on New Year’s Eve, and festivities will continue until 12:30 AM. The children’s area will be expanded this year, and will feature a kid’s countdown at 8:00 PM with the “bubble stomp” and confetti.

For the “grown-ups”, there will be live music on three different stages, featuring the Emerald Coast Blues Brothers, Steel Magnolia, Lucky Town, Cold Hard Truth, Whiskey River and the Wes Loper Band. There will be street performers as well to entertain while you walk to and from the main venues, and area restaurants will be open all night. Additional vendors will be also providing refreshments (but no alcohol sales).

Then at the stroke of midnight, our 20 foot pelican will light up the sky and descend amid cheers, fireworks and confetti! Move over Times Square…Pensacola knows how to have a New Year’s Party!

***Sponsored by the Downtown Improvement Board, they offer these tips: Arrive early- the intersection of Palafox and Government will be closed, closures will begin early on the morning of December 31^st. Nearly 50,000 people are expected, so arrive early to find a good parking place and stake out your spot for the festivities. Be patient and have a sense of humor- it will be crowded and you will get bumped into, so try to be cool and just have fun. Also, make sure you have a plan to arrive home safely by designating a driver. There will be public portable restrooms available, but no coolers are allowed, and only service animals will be permitted in the area.

THINGS TO DO IN PENSACOLA – CHRISTMAS 2012

The holiday season this year promises to the best ever! There are events and activities for every age and taste. It will be hard to resist the Christmas spirit with all of the tours and performances that will light up beautiful Downtown Pensacola.

WINTERFEST (DEC. 1^st, 14^th, 15^th, & 16^th) - Magical Winterfest begins as soon as you enter Christmas Town at the Courthouse on Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola.  Snow begins to fall (yes, in Florida!) as you enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and the sound of trolley bells.  All aboard for a wonderful holiday journey!
The Winterfest Performance Tour includes 16 performances along a 50 minute trip through downtown Pensacola. The Performance Tour features favorite holiday characters such as Snoopy, Frosty, the Grinch and the Whos of Whoville. Singing guides accompany you as you travel to the various scenes and there’s no need to leave the trolley…the vehicle becomes the stage!

Back at the Plaza Wonderland, you can visit Santa in his sleigh for your holiday portrait. Or watch the free Rudolph’ Review, a song and dance show with favorite holiday characters. New this year is Reindeer Games for kids of all ages with face painting, snowball fights and snowman transformations. Plaza Wonderland is open every night of the Performance Tours.

The tours begin in Plaza Wonderland in front of the Escambia County Courthouse with children’s tickets ranging in price from $10-$13 and adult tickets from $16-$19.

SANTA’S EXPRESS TOUR (DEC. 18^th – 22^nd) - The week before Christmas features a special “Santa’s Express Tour” for younger children, with Santa and Rudolph coming along for the ride!  The tour runs for 30 minutes and ticket prices are $6 for children and $12 for adults.

PENSACOLA CHRISTMAS PARADE (DEC. 8^th) - We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the biggest party of the all, the 2012 Cox Pensacola Christmas Parade!  It happens December 8^th at 5:15pm, starting at the MLK Plaza. Drawing over 50,000 people to downtown Pensacola each year, the parade features floats, Escambia county high school bands, the Blue Angels flight team, and groups from all over the region and as far away as Houston and New Orleans.  Before the parade is the Christmas Parade Dash, a 1.2 mile fun run sponsored by the Pensacola Runners Association.

Other events you may want to check out:

Sowell’s North Pole Lights- the Sowell family in Milton create a display with over 500,000 lights lighting up the night from December 1^st to January 1^st from dark until 10PM.

Handel’s Messiah presented by the Choral Society of Pensacola- presented on December 1^st, 7:30PM to 9:30PM at 3131 Hyde Park Road. The Choral Society Orchestra is conducted by Xiaolun Chen.

A Christmas Story- presented by the Pensacola Little Theatre from December 7 – 9, and December 13-16. Enjoy a Christmas classic with Ralphie as he tries to get his most wanted Christmas gift, a Red Ryder BB gun.

The Nutcracker- Tchaikovsky’s Holiday classic is performed by Ballet Pensacola at the Saenger Theatre on Friday, December 14^th at 7:00PM, Saturday, December 15^th at 7:00PM, and Sunday, December 16^th at 1:30PM.

It’s A Wonderful Life- This classic Christmas film will be shown at the Saenger Theatre on Saturday, December 22^nd at 6:30PM. Tickets are just $5.

A True Field of Dreams - House of the Month

Visual Learner? View the Full Story Starting at 4:21 in the Video Below...

A few months ago, Don & Becky Lansing signed a contract to sell their family farm located in Dyersville, Iowa, which had been in their family since 1906. The farm includes a 2 bedroom house, 6 additional buildings, one hundred and ninety three acres…and a baseball field. But no, this wasn’t just any field, THIS was a “Field of Dreams”.

That’s right, the sprawling eastern Iowa cornfield made famous by the movie starring Kevin Costner has been sold to Mike and Denise Stillman and their company, Go the Distance Baseball LLC, which will develop the site near Dyersville as a baseball and softball complex, including multiple playing fields and an indoor training facility. The purchase price has yet to be made public, but the property was listed for a cool 5.4 million.

The Lansings said earlier this year that they had gotten several inquiries about the site but were committed to finding a buyer that would preserve its legacy. Becky Lansing said in a statement "We worked hard to maintain its wholesome allure, and our success says a lot about our nation's love affair with its national pastime. It truly is a special place."

And the former owners won’t be going far, as they will be living just a few miles away. Don Lansing says he and his wife plan on making regular visits to the site that’s been so special to them all these years, especially in summer when the corn is high. As Don says, “That's when the field is most magical.”

Energy Efficiency Tax Credits for Your Home

Whether it’s buying a new hybrid car or switching out your old light bulbs with the new curly Q ones, there has been a lot of emphasis recently on “going green”. However, a new government initiative may have just upped the ante a bit. If you make energy saving changes to your primary residence, you’re no longer just “going green” but you also could be adding a little “green” to your wallet as well! As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Obama in 2009, there are currently some tax credits that property owners can take advantage of by making their homes more energy efficient. These credits could potentially means thousands of dollars back in your pocket, not to mention the lower energy bills.

There are three different tax credits available to current homeowners. The first tax credit applies to purchases of Biomass Stoves, Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning (HVAC), Insulation, Roofs (Metal & Asphalt), Water Heaters (non-solar), Windows, and Doors. These upgrades must be made to an existing principal residence (i.e. landlords cannot get tax credits for rental properties they make more energy efficient.) The amount of the credit is 30% of the upgrade cost up to a maximum of $1,500 and it expires on December 31, 2010.

The second tax credit, which expires at the end of 2016, applies to purchases of geothermal heat pumps, small wind turbines (residential) and solar energy systems. Both existing principal residences and second homes qualify for this credit, as well as new construction (rental properties do not qualify). This credit is also 30% of the product cost, however there is NO upper limit like the previous credit.

The third and final tax credit applies to purchases of fuel cells (residential fuel cell and micro-turbine systems) and is once again 30% of the cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity. Existing homes & new construction qualify; however, they MUST be your principal residence. Rentals and second homes do not apply. This credit also expires on December 31, 2016.

To apply for the tax credit, you will need to file the appropriate form when you complete your tax returns. For products “placed in service” in 2009, you need to file the 2009 IRS Form 5695 and submit it with your 2009 taxes (by April 15, 2010). The residential energy tax credit is claimed on line 52 of the 1040 form. For all products “placed in service” in 2010, you will file the tax credit on your 2010 income taxes. Make sure you save all your receipts and the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement for your records & submit form 5695 along with your taxes. As always, make sure you consult your accountant ahead of time regarding any income tax related matters.

This is just a brief overview of the tax credits available. Each and every tax credit has its own specific set of rules and guidelines, and it’s highly recommended that you do your own research before making any permanent changes to your home. For the full list of products, and more tax credit information, please visit the government website @: http://www.energystar.gov