Key West’s legendary Fantasy Fest is coming up Oct. 19-28 with a roster of world-class festivities. This year's theme is “Oh … The Games We Play!” — and the over-the-top costuming, unparalleled parties and amazing energy generated by the festival will impress even the most seasoned party animals out there (you know who you are!).
Intriguing artistry can be seen along the Florida Keys Overseas Highway that traverses the length of the island chain — including, thanks to two Key West philanthropists, the large-scale pieces that make up the new Florida Keys Sculpture Trail. The 81-mile trail stretches along the highway from Islamorada to Key West, where the distinctive sculptures can be easily discovered and admired by art lovers.
Divers in the Lower Keys can explore wonders such as Looe Key Reef, one of the most beautiful shallow reefs to be found, and the 210-foot Adolphus Busch Sr. Intentionally sunk as an artificial reef in December 1998, today the Busch is populated by marine life including huge southern stingrays, reef sharks and massive schools of tarpon.
Key West's Womenfest, taking place Sept. 5-9, is renowned as one of North America’s largest gatherings of lesbians and their friends. It was created to allow singles, couples and groups of women to experience camaraderie, adventures on land and sea, live entertainment and lively celebrations for “Party Girls.”
Paula Deen’s husband, Michael Groover, looks a lot like Ernest Hemingway. So much, in fact, that he triumphed over 150 other entrants to win the 2018 Sloppy Joe’s Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest, the undisputed highlight of Key West’s annual Hemingway Days festival.
A Florida Keys vacation is relaxing. Renewing. Fun. Filled with unexpected happenings, new discoveries, and fresh experiences that make lifelong memories. But it should NOT include grilling fish in a bathtub.
The free-spirited island of Key West is famed for its lively celebrations and balmy year-round subtropical weather — but in August the party scene really heats up. The reason for this “Island Fever” is the Tropical Heat festival, which will entertain revelers Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 15-19, with a sizzling long weekend of all-male adult events.
Key West's Hemingway Days celebrates the legacy of world-renowned author Ernest Hemingway, who called the island home for most of the 1930s. What he discovered there fed his exuberance for living, launched the most prolific period of his career and inspired him to use Depression-era Key West as the setting for “To Have and Have Not” — his only novel set in the United States.
Legendary shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher, who found the wreck of the 1622 Spanish galleon Atocha, was one of Key West's most colorful and inspirational characters. Adventure lovers can celebrate his legacy during Mel Fisher Days, set for July 12-14 in his longtime “home port.”
Key West's sun-drenched days and cool island breezes beckon visitors to get out and explore countless outdoor activities — all sure to excite the senses and rejuvenate the spirit after a long, chilly winter indoors. Discover five "locals' favorite" activities that reveal the quintessential appeal of Key West.