History

Celebrate the Florida Keys’ 200th Birthday With Four Festive Events

Commemorate the Florida Keys’ bicentennial with a sunset celebration on the Middle Keys’ Old Seven Mile Bridge, a gala sea-to-table dinner in Islamorada, a family-style waterfront picnic in Key Largo, and Lower Keys festivities and fireworks featuring the creation of the world’s largest Key lime pie. All activities salute the Keys’ 200th birthday.

By |2023-05-26T18:42:11-04:00May 3, 2023|

Never, EVER Say “Kontch”

If you’ve spent time in the Florida Keys, you’re aware that Keys residents are generally easygoing and friendly. But unless you want to make them cringe, don’t ever say “kontch” — because the widely-used word “conch,” despite its spelling, is properly pronounced “konk.” Especially at the upcoming birthday party for the Keys’ Conch Republic.

By |2023-04-05T15:32:11-04:00April 5, 2023|

Pigeons, Planes and the Birth of Pan Am

Most people don’t know it, but Key West played a major role in the history of international air travel. In 1927, the island was the birthplace of one-time aviation giant Pan American Airlines. Actually, its aviation heritage dates back to 1920, when the pioneering Aeromarine Airways began America’s first official international airmail service.

By |2023-03-22T11:45:18-04:00March 22, 2023|

Key West Concert and Drone ‘Fireworks’ to Launch Florida Keys’ 200th Birthday

Celebrate the bicentennial of the subtropical Florida Keys island chain throughout 2023, starting with the “200 Years of Paradise Kick-off Concert” and dazzling drone show Saturday, March 25, in Key West. Events salute the 200th anniversary of the Florida legislature’s founding of Monroe County, which contains the entire Keys, on July 3, 1823.

By |2023-03-08T16:11:06-05:00March 8, 2023|

Pucker Power to Prevail at Key West’s ‘Conch Honk’

Conch shell blowing, a time-honored tradition, is Key West’s most indigenous form of musical expression. Every March, the island’s Conch Shell Blowing Contest draws dozens of entrants who demonstrate their “pucker power” by blowing through the conch’s fluted, pink-lined shell. The 2023 contest is set for March 4 at the Oldest House Museum.

By |2023-02-22T11:54:27-05:00February 22, 2023|

Present-Day Sites Bring Keys’ Past to Life

During the Florida Keys’ colorful two-century history, the island chain at the southern tip of Florida has been shaped by individualists, visionaries, shipwreck salvagers and environmentalists. Today visitors can explore scores of intriguing sites in the Upper and Middle Keys that recall their presence and showcase the region’s rich and vibrant heritage.

By |2023-02-15T17:06:12-05:00February 15, 2023|

Corcoran’s Tantalizing Tales … and Tacos for Tennessee

He peddled tacos from a three-wheeled bicycle when he first moved to Key West — and Tom Corcoran never forgot the irreverent, weird, magical island he discovered from that vantage point. In his Alex Rutledge mystery series, the island is portrayed with an authenticity that leaves readers practically able to smell the shoreline seaweed.

By |2023-02-08T13:35:31-05:00February 8, 2023|

Key West’s 58-Year-Old Tournament Promotes Fishery and Fun

Nearly 60 years ago, Captain Gainey Maxwell conceived a way to encourage people to visit and fish Florida Keys waters — and then come back to do it again. He called it the Key West Fishing Tournament. Today, an impressive 46 backcountry and offshore species are targeted during the free-entry tournament’s eight-month span.

By |2022-11-09T14:41:14-05:00November 9, 2022|
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