October – February
Snowbird & Monthly Stays
Trade the snow shovel for a beach chair. Settle into The Pelican House for the season, with everything already taken care of.
Why Here, Why Now
☀️ Winter That Feels Like Spring
Gulf Breeze winters run mild — daytime highs typically in the low-to-mid 60s, with plenty of sunny afternoons in the 70s. Extended freezes are rare this close to the Gulf. Bring a light jacket for the mornings and you’re set.
🏖️ Quiet Beaches, No Crowds
Hurricane season is behind you and the summer crowds have gone home. October through February is the local’s favorite stretch — same white sand and emerald water, none of the lines.
📅 A Full Calendar
Far from a quiet off-season, this is when Pensacola comes alive with festivals, parades, and live music — more on that below.
Everything’s Handled
One monthly rate, nothing else to set up.
💡 Utilities
Electric, water, and trash all included. No accounts to open, no deposits to a utility company, no final bill to settle when you leave.
📶 High-Speed WiFi
Already set up and ready when you walk in — stream, video call the grandkids, or work remotely without a hiccup.
🌿 Lawn Care
The yard stays maintained all season. You focus on being on vacation, not mowing one.
🏡 A Full, Furnished Home
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a real living room — not a hotel room. Room to spread out for the whole season.
⛵ Boat Parking
Bringing a boat for the season? There’s room for it right on the property, with the Shoreline Park launch under a mile away.
🧹 Dedicated Laundry
A real laundry area on-site, not a shared machine down the hall.
Weekly & Regular, All Season Long
Beyond the big events, there’s something to do nearly every week.
🥕 Palafox Market
Every Saturday, 9am–2pm, year-round, rain or shine. Local produce, baked goods, plants, and handmade art on historic Palafox Street downtown.
🎨 Gallery Night
The third Friday of every month, 5–9pm. A free, family-friendly evening of local art, live music, and food trucks filling the streets of Downtown Pensacola.
🍽️ Taste of Gulf Breeze
A once-a-year highlight worth planning around: 50+ local restaurants and food trucks serving samples at the Gulf Breeze Community Center — right on Shoreline Drive, practically next door.
The Season, Month by Month
October
Beach weather without the heat. The Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival brings live acoustic music to venues up and down the coast, and Taste of Gulf Breeze takes over the Community Center right on Shoreline Drive.
November
Downtown’s First City Lights Festival switches on more than half a million lights along Palafox Street, and the Gulf Coast Arts Festival fills Seville Square with artisans, live music, and food.
December
Winterfest takes over Downtown Pensacola through Christmas Eve with trolley tours and live shows. Boats decked out in lights cruise Santa Rosa Sound for the Boat Parade of Lights, ending right at the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk, and the Pensacola Christmas Parade rolls down Palafox.
January
New Year’s Eve on the beach with fireworks over the Gulf, then the Polar Bear Plunge at Paradise Bar & Grill on January 1st — costumes encouraged, cold water guaranteed. Mardi Gras planning starts to build toward the end of the month.
February
The big one. Mardi Gras season arrives with the Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Parade, the Grand Mardi Gras Parade downtown, and the Krewe of Wrecks Parade on Pensacola Beach — plus a Mardi Gras-themed “Snowbird Social” hosted by the local chamber, practically made for you. Pensacon wraps up the month with one of the Gulf Coast’s biggest pop culture conventions downtown.
🎭 Mardi Gras Season
Pensacola was one of the first places in the country to celebrate Mardi Gras, and by late January the whole area leans into it. Downtown hosts the Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Parade — the only nighttime parade of the season, lit floats and all — followed by the Grand Mardi Gras Parade down Palafox Street the next afternoon. Out on Pensacola Beach, the Krewe of Wrecks Parade is the island’s biggest event of the year, plus a family-friendly Kids & Kritters parade where costumed pets get their own moment. The whole run typically lands in early-to-mid February, timed to Fat Tuesday.
🎉 And the Festivals Keep Coming
The local chamber of commerce even throws a Mardi Gras-themed “Snowbird Social” right on Pensacola Beach — a low-key mixer aimed squarely at seasonal residents. Right on Mardi Gras’ heels, Pensacon takes over Downtown Pensacola with cosplay, comics, and celebrity guests.
Made for the Season
Whether you’re escaping the cold for good or just for a few months, The Pelican House works as a real home base — not a vacation rental pretending to be one. Popular with retirees and seasonal residents settling in for the winter, remote workers who want a change of scenery, and traveling nurses on longer contracts at the area’s hospitals.
Come Spend the Season With Us
One month minimum. Utilities, WiFi, and lawn care included. Reach out for current rates and availability for this season.