Begin 2024 With Three Fantastic Key West Music Festivals
Want to get 2024 off to a memorable start? Then plan to savor sunshine and stellar talents at three Key West music festivals set for January and early February — featuring current and classic icons of the hard rock, Red Dirt/Americana and country/pop genres performing outdoors in the island’s typically balmy “winter” weather.
Fort Jefferson: Echoes of the Past
Fort Jefferson, America’s largest and most remote coastal fortress, stands on the tiny Dry Tortugas islands 68 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. A trip to Dry Tortugas National Park takes visitors into a unique realm, largely untouched by modern civilization yet unmatched in its historic and natural wonders.
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” as Womenfest Celebrations Return
Get ready for Key West's Womenfest, renowned as one of North America’s largest gatherings of lesbians and their friends. Taking place Sept. 4-8, the event is bursting with an abundance of entertaining revelries on both land and sea — from playful and rambunctious pool parties and picturesque sunset dinner sails to a late-night dance party.
Key West Museums Offer a Colorful Historic Adventure
Key West’s colorful history includes Spanish galleon shipwreck treasures and artifacts, famous artists and eccentrics, a cigar-making heyday, a vibrant past as a bustling seaport and even an eerie haunted doll. So it’s no surprise to find that cultural and historic richness preserved, spotlighted and celebrated in the island city’s many museums.
Hungry in Key Largo? No Problem!
Today’s Key Largo includes upscale new resorts, funky attractions, established dive charter operations and affordable-stay options that are longtime comfy favorites. And savvy “foodies” can’t forget Key Largo’s delicious dining spots. Discover casual eateries, waterfront emporiums with island flair and classic examples of "Old Keys" appeal, many with menus starring incomparable local seafood.
Talking with Teri: Towleroad Interviews Key West Mayor Teri Johnston
In late 2018, Key West’s first lesbian mayor was elected. Teri Johnston, a former City Commissioner, is also the first openly gay woman elected mayor of a major Florida city. Popular and well-respected, Johnston was interviewed recently by the leading news source Towleroad — and Towleroad permitted Keys Voices to share excerpts from that interview.
Connect & Protect: Low-Impact Summer Watersports
Calm summer seas in the Florida Keys mean easygoing and easy-on-the-environment watersports powered by people or the rays of the sun. Low-impact on-the-water activities include cruising warm, clear waters on a hydrobike, standup paddleboarding through the backcountry flats, or taking a dolphin watch and snorkel tour on the Keys’ first electric-powered charter boat.