Last October in Key West, I spotted a character wearing a feathered bikini and six-foot-tall peacock headdress, a group of silver-garbed “Beauty School Dropouts From Mars” and a quartet impersonating the legendary Jamaican bobsled team. And it was all part of Fantasy Fest.
On a single breath of air, Mehgan Heaney-Grier set a U.S. record for constant-weight freediving in 1996, diving 155 feet deep off the Florida Keys in an amazing display of athleticism and grace.
Cheryl McBay and her brewmaster husband, Craig McBay, are devoted to producing Keys-crafted beers flavored with an island vibe. Their vibrant microbrewery, aptly named Florida Keys Brewing Co., is tucked away in Islamorada's arts and cultural district at Morada Way.
Is your Halloween finery is head-and-shoulders above the rest? Then prove it at Key West's glitzy annual Headdress Ball, where revelers hoping to make “headlines” will take center stage and compete for cash prizes.
Key West's Zombie Bike Ride, a pre-Halloween tradition for visiting and local families and groups, is scheduled Sunday, Oct. 23 -- and much of the island is likely to be overrun by an oddly lively gaggle of the biking dead. The spooky spectacle typically draws several thousand participants (including a few slightly bewildered pets).
Michelle Lowe’s paintings seemingly pop off the canvas. Each scene is a snapshot of lively-eyed creatures like hogfish, angelfish, large-scaled tarpon, tangs and turtles, or the unmistakeable contours of native seagrape trees, palm fronds and plumage of island birds.
It’s almost inevitable — sometime this coming fall or winter, your thoughts will turn yearningly toward Key West. Maybe you’ll be drawn by the glitzy outrageousness of Fantasy Fest, or the sudden desire to spend New Year’s Eve watching the “red shoe drop” on Duval Street. Or maybe you'll just want to flee a northern winter.
"Only in the Keys!" has become a common response from people hearing about everything from a Key West parade for dachshunds to mermaids attending a Lower Keys music festival (FYI, these are both actual things).
While the Florida Keys are better known for their living coral reef and other offshore wonders, the island chain also features inviting beaches from Key Largo to Key West. These sandy spots are perfect for chilling out, sunning, swimming or just dipping your toes into warm, clear turquoise waters.
Key West’s favorite New Year's Eve diva, and a 100-foot section of the island's iconic "sea-to-sea" rainbow flag, were among the star attractions at the kickoff of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association's 2016 national convention.