April is one of my favorite months in Key West. Not only is the weather superb — our average daytime temps are in the mid 70s to low 80s, with low humidity — but there are also plenty of entertaining events taking place to rev up Florida Keys visits.
A “drag racer” navigates an obstacle course during the wacky annual competition. (Photo by Rob O’Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)
One of those events, the Great Conch Republic Drag Race, is scheduled Saturday, April 22, hosted by the Bourbon St. Pub Complex. And believe me, the annual competition provides an action-packed afternoon of cheers and sidesplitting laughter.
The race is held in the 700 block of Duval Street, the island’s appropriately nicknamed “main drag.” The traditional auto–racing atmosphere is enhanced by organizers dressed as “pit crews” and a sound system blaring the noise of revving engines — but the event’s focus is on the hilarious drag queens competing, some in full make-up and wigs.
Wearing startlingly high heels required by race rules, they attempt to dash down the street faster than their rivals while trying to avoid falls, broken heels and dreaded wardrobe malfunctions.
Everyone is welcome to register for the event — and it’s free — which makes for a very diverse group of dragsters. For example, at last year’s race, I met an elderly visitor from Canada who was competing. He donned homemade heels held together with duct tape and said he was having the best time of his life. He even kept pace with the much younger racers as his wife cheered him on from the viewing area.
I love to watch the racers as they navigate an obstacle course of tires and other street hazards, while crowds cheer for their favorites. The participants also get a “diva-style” ride down Duval Street in pimped-out shopping carts propelled by local male dancers (who love to show off their physiques molded by countless hours of gym time — oh my!).
Female impersonators are pushed in souped-up shopping carts during the Great Conch Republic Drag Race. (Photo by Rob O’Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)
Just a week later on April 29 is another amazingly entertaining event: the 34th annual Conch Republic Red Ribbon Bed Race. The wacky competition features decorated beds mounted on wheels, each launched down Duval Street from Fleming to Petronia streets. A team of four runners (sometimes in offbeat costumes) propels each decked-out bed, while one lucky team member lounges aboard.
First there’s a lineup and inspection of the festive beds, followed by a parade of beds. Then the main event gets underway, with teams pitted against each other as they pilot their beds in a hotly-contested race to the finish line.
Trophies and awards are presented for first-, second-, and third-place winners, as well as for the best themed bed. The post-race awards ceremony is held poolside at one of my favorite watering holes, the Garden Bar behind the Bourbon St. Pub at 724 Duval Street.
Presented by the Bourbon St. Pub Complex, the bed race is a fundraiser for the Florida Keys’ AIDS help organization — as well as one of the best known events in the Conch Republic Independence Celebration.
Teams propel decorated beds up Duval Street during the annual Conch Republic Red Ribbon Bed Race. (Photo by Carol Tedesco, Florida Keys News Bureau)
The 10-day festival commemorates the Florida Keys’ 1982 “secession” from the United States, motivated by the installation of a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint at the head of the island chain.
The 2017 event is scheduled from Friday, April 21, through Sunday, April 30, and its incredible line-up of festivities includes a “sea battle” featuring tall ships (with shore-side viewing), parades, and the March of the Sea Dogs Pet Stroll benefiting a local pet charity.
From drag races and bed races to parades and pets, April in Key West is prime time for fun. For a complete list of upcoming events in the Florida Keys, please visit our calendar.
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