Get ready for a great open-hearted event that spans the entire Florida Keys. Bicyclists navigate along scenic Overseas Highway and Heritage Trail routes during the 160-mile-plus Miami to Key West charity ride known as The SMART Ride. Held Nov. 15-16, it draws participants who pedal their way south, raising money for Florida AIDS service organizations.
The eerie yet lighthearted Zombie Bike Ride will bring thousands of “the bicycling dead” to prowl Key West's Atlantic Ocean shoreline and streets Sunday, Oct. 20. Since it began in 2010, the pre-Halloween ride has become a tradition for visiting and local adults, kids and even some bewildered pets — all in spooky zombie garb.
Key West's Fantasy Fest commemorates its 40th anniversary Oct. 18-27 with world-famous costume contests, action-packed street festivals, adult-themed revelries and a dazzling grand parade. Feeling a bit overwhelmed when trying to decide which events to attend? Fear not, because here Keys Voices outlines six must-do parties and activities at some favorite LGBTQ hangouts.
Revelers in Key West are firing up their creative juices and their glue guns, hoping to create the winning headgear for the Headdress Ball scheduled Thursday, Oct. 24. The glamorous event is one of the highlights of the island’s 10-day Fantasy Fest celebration, offering a unique blend of lively entertainment and imaginative pageantry.
For decades, Key West's Mallory Square Sunset Celebration has been an iconic must-do experience for visitors and locals alike. On the pier overlooking colorful Key West Harbor, artisans sell handmade wares and foodstuffs. Performers range from acrobats and musicians to a daring tightrope walker silhouetted against the vivid hues of the evening sky.
Relieved and grateful that the Florida Keys were spared impacts from Hurricane Dorian, Keys groups and businesses are organizing efforts to assist people in the northwest Bahamas who felt the brunt of the hurricane’s devastating winds and water — including citizens of tiny Green Turtle Cay, whose village of New Plymouth is Key West’s sister city.
Vacation volunteerism, often called “voluntourism,” contributes to the self-sufficiency and sustainability of destinations like the Florida Keys. In the Keys, advocacy groups and learning-based attractions offer hands-on experiences that visitors can discover and enjoy — helping them find out more about impacts on Florida's reefs and environment and how the average person can help as a citizen scientist.
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.
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’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.