This week’s Keys Voices is a personal invitation to readers from Diana Nyad, famed around the globe for her incomparable 2013 swim from Cuba to Key West. She and expedition leader Bonnie Stoll return to their “home away from home” April 2-6 to lead a series of walks as part of their innovative EverWalk program -- and everyone is welcome to join them.
In Key West each April, "drag racing" takes on a whole new meaning — as the island city's exotic drag queens don outlandish sporting costumes, lavish wigs and towering high heels to vie for victory in the Great Conch Republic Drag Race. The wacky competition is scheduled Saturday, April 21, on Duval Street (known, of course, as the island's "main drag").
"West Side Story" composer Leonard Bernstein also had a "Key West-side story" -- a connection with the island that most people never knew about. It will be revealed in “Remembering Lenny” and other offerings that explore the American musical legend’s work and the ways the island city influenced it. And it's all part of a national celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of Bernstein’s 1918 birth.
“Taste of Key West,” an open-air food extravaganza at Key West's famed Mallory Square, is a one-stop foodies’ delight featuring offerings from several dozen local restaurants. It's the perfect opportunity to sample an amazing variety of the island’s primo cuisine — against the backdrop of a fabulous sunset.
Key West lies just 90 miles from Cuba, and the two islands share a cultural connection that dates back more than 180 years. On March 7, a unique event will commemorate the Cuban heritage that enlivens and enhances the island city — and it includes the unveiling of what is believed to be the world’s largest cigar sculpture.
Decades before zombies and "The Walking Dead" became pop culture phenomena, a macabre, beyond-the-grave Key West love story mesmerized people around the world. Now, beginning on Valentine's Day, the true tale of one man's death-defying obsession comes to life for theater audiences in “Undying Love: A Key West Musical.”
Rock lovers can savor the beat from morning till nearly midnight Feb. 17-18, while raising money for several good causes, during the Middle Keys’ second annual Coral Head Music Fest — an open-air concert weekend in the Florida Keys’ typically balmy winter climate.
Teams from around the world will converge on Key West for adrenaline-packed sporting events and activities Jan. 22-29, during the 27th annual Kelly McGillis Classic International Women’s & Girls’ Flag Football championship. The championship is named for "Top Gun" actress and former Key West resident Kelly McGillis.
This January, food and wine enthusiasts can sample the the Florida Keys' culinary delights at five fantastic cuisine celebrations. Each one spotlights local chefs’ creativity, indigenous ingredients like unparalleled fresh fish and seafood, and premium wines. And the Keys' subtropical weather provides another "tasty" reason for a January escape to the welcoming island chain.
At noon on New Year's Eve, don't miss the annual Key West Dachshund Walk -- a short stroll for long dogs that has become a beloved holiday tradition. Last year the wacky walk drew nearly 200 dachshunds, many of them sporting whimsical costumes or accessories as they trotted around Key West’s historic downtown area.