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Bright and beautifully “belighted” subtropical holidays in the Florida Keys & Key West are filled with warmth, inspiring good cheer throughout the 125-mile-long island chain.
Despite the typically balmy temperatures and lack of wintry weather, people in the Keys tend to throw themselves gleefully into extended merrymaking. Festivities range from traditional to quirky — all with a unique island twist.
From Key Largo to Key West, the 2024 holiday season features spirited events such as lighted boat parades, sparkling waterfront celebrations, encounters with Santa and artisan gift bazaars. It’s even possible to salute the season on the historic 5-acre island of Pigeon Key, nestled beneath the Middle Keys’ Old Seven Mile Bridge.
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From its cigar-makers’ cottages to its Victorian mansions, Key West’s architecture is individualistic and historic. Visitors can explore houses exemplifying that architectural heritage, and contemporary Keys design, during weekend home tours in December, January, February and March. Presented by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, they provide a unique glimpse into the local lifestyle.
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Visitors to Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters can plunge into a 200,000-gallon Coral Reef Tank to scuba dive, snorkel, or use a surface regulator on a hookah breathing system to swim with tropical reef fish, playful cownose rays, spiny lobsters and other Keys reef dwellers. They can also feed fish during the immersive experience.
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Lighthearted takeoffs on the traditional ball drop in New York City’s Times Square are to highlight New Year’s Eve in Key West, the colorful southernmost city in the continental United States. Standout celebrations Tuesday, Dec. 31, include the midnight “drop” of female impersonator Randy Roberts in a spangled super-sized red high heel shoe.
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Valerie Preziosi, founder and president of the nonprofit Save Our Key Deer Inc., works to save the diminutive, indigenous and federally protected herd of about 800 Key deer from human-provoked tragedies. Also an avid nature photographer, she is opening a new state-authorized Key deer rehabilitation facility on Big Pine Key in late December.
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Each year, Santa Claus brings seasonal cheer to the colorful “residents” of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. After enjoying the Keys’ ocean realm, he’ll surface in time to begin his worldwide toy deliveries. To everyone who’s diving into the joys of the season, Happy Holidays from the Florida Keys & Key West!
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Travel News From The Florida Keys & Key West Florida Keys Tourist Development Council
1201 White Street, Key West, FL 33040
1-800-FLA-KEYS | |
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