White-bearded “Papas” take over Old Town, wooden bulls charge through the streets, and the legacy of a literary giant comes vividly to life — it must be Hemingway Days in Key West! Set for July 23–27, this quirky, colorful festival pays tribute to Ernest Hemingway’s larger-than-life spirit and his years living in Key West.
The weeklong celebration centers around the world-famous Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe’s Bar — where dozens of stocky, salt-and-pepper-bearded hopefuls channel their inner Papa in a bid for the coveted crown.
Beyond the laughs, the festival honors Hemingway’s literary legacy with readings, a writing competition, Hemingway Home & Museum tours, and a marlin fishing tournament recalling his passion for the sea.
Events to note include the two preliminary rounds with this year’s look-alike candidates at Sloppy Joe’s Bar at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday nights.
Thursday at 11 a.m. Key West Cooking School hosts a “grits-n-grunts” lunch, inspired by the Hemingway novel “To Have and Have Not,” one of the author’s most famous works written during the time he lived in Key West.
On Saturday at 1 p.m., the Papa candidates don their Pamplona best (white attire with red berets and sashes) as they participate in the annual playful parody of Spain’s Running of the Bulls down Greene Street, either atop or alongside wooden bulls-on-wheels.
Plan to arrive early Saturday evening for the 6:30 p.m. start of the final round of the Look-Alike contest with the crowning of 2025’s Papa!
For the full list of Hemingwayesque frivolity, find the full schedule here.