A lighthearted sea battle featuring tall ships, a parade dubbed the world’s longest and a “drag” race for female impersonators are all part of the wonderfully wacky 36th annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration. Set for April 20-29, the offbeat event commemorates the Florida Keys’ symbolic secession from the United States.
How many times a day does the sun set in the Florida Keys? That's just one of the wacky questions that have actually been asked by visitors to the island chain. Read on to discover more crazy questions and their answers -- including how long the Seven Mile Bridge REALLY is.
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").
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.”
Santa does things a little differently in the holiday-loving Florida Keys -- and he even brings some Keys warmth and cheer to people who can't spend the season in the subtropical island chain. Unless you're on the naughty list, you might just get a visit from jolly old Santa Keys this year!
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.
Celebrate New Year's Eve in Key West by watching beloved drag queen Sushi, perched in a super-sized red high-heel shoe, "drop" to famed Duval Street in a wacky takeoff on the Times Square ball drop. The Key West event marks its 20th anniversary this year -- and features celebrity guest host Austin Armacost, best known for Logo TV’s “The A-List.”
Once the stone crab season began Oct. 15, the savory claws started starring on the menus of top Keys restaurants — triggering a virtual stampede of savvy seafood aficionados. That's because the claws contain sweet and scrumptious meat that’s among the Keys’ most popular (and deservedly famous) delicacies.
A welcome sight lifted the spirits of many weary Florida Keys locals returning home in the weeks after Hurricane Irma’s Sept. 10 passage through the beloved island chain. That sight was “Fred," a salt-sprayed Australian pine tree that's growing out of a roadbed on the historic Old Seven Mile Bridge.
Early August marks the start of the Florida Keys’ annual commercial lobster season -- so it's time to savor the sweet, clawless local lobsters in restaurants ranging from waterside seafood shacks to gourmet emporiums. Some foodies even design their own “lobster quest" to sample chefs’ crustacean creations at a variety of eateries from Key Largo to Key West.