Special Events, Fairs and Festivals
General
- Beach "Wet Walks" and Snorkeling Programs—Bahia Honda State
Park. Held regularly July through November. Other nature
walks and history talks throughout the year. Phone (305) 872-2353.
- Living History Weekends—Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Site, Key
West. Held October through December. Phone (305)
292-6713.
- Fishing Tournaments—Literally dozens of fishing tournaments for amateur
and professional anglers are held throughout the
Florida Keys. For a Florida
Keys Fishing Tournament Guide call 1-800-FLA-KEYS and ask for Florida
Keys and Key West pamphlet. Or, write to Florida Keys Fishing Tournaments,
PO Box
420358, Summerland Key, FL 33042.
January
- Florida Keys Renaissance Faire—Sombrero Beach, Marathon. Three days
of costumed actors and artisans dressed as King Henry VIII and his cast of
knights,
minstrels, and wizards. Includes jousting, rat
pucking (an early form of golf), medieval games, arts, crafts, and rides.
Phone (305) 658-1540 or 8002Marathon.
- Key West Race Week—Key West. Five days of international boat racing
that can be viewed anywhere along the Atlantic side of Key West or from a
chartered
boat. Phone (617) 6399545.
February
- Everglades Seafood Festival—Everglades City. Annual festival with
music, live entertainment, carnival rides, arts and crafts, and food. Always
the first
Saturday and Sunday of the month. Phone (941) 695-3941
or 695-4100.
- Pigeon Key Art Festival—Pigeon Key. At this annual event the key's
5 acres are filled with watercolors, oil paintings, acrylics, sculptures,
and
other media of 50 artists showcasing Florida themes.
Ranked among the top 200 art shows in the country. Reggae, jazz, Latin, rock,
country, and classical
musicians perform throughout the two-day event.
Located just south of Marathon off of the old Seven Mile Bridge. First weekend
of February. Phone (305) 2890025.
- Old Island Days—Key West. A month-long celebration to showcase the
community's cultural heritage and the restoration and preservation of the
island's unique
architectural traditions. Festivities include theatrical
productions, musical performances, a children's pageant, and House and Garden
Tours. Seventeen houses
and gardens are toured on three different weekends.
Phone (305) 294-9501.
March
- Islamorada's Fine Arts and Music Festival—Islamorada. An annual event
at Treasure Village. Fine arts displayed with continuous
jazz music each day. Phone (305) 8520511.
- Original Marathon Seafood Festival—Marathon. Seafood booths, crafts,
and rides. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.
Phone (305) 743-5417.
- Seminole Indian Day—Chokoloskee Island. Celebrate Seminole culture
and history in southwestern Florida. Annual event held at Ted Smallwood's
Store
and Museum. Phone (941) 695-2989.
- Annual Seafood Festival—Naples Airport. Seafood vendors, arts and
crafts, and rides. Phone (941) 436-6462.
- Festival of the Arts—Downtown Naples. Oldest Fine Art Show with artists
from around the country. Entertainment and
food. Phone (941) 435-3742.
April
- Florida Keys Jazz and Blues Festival—Plantation Yacht Harbor, Plantation
Key. Jazz and blues on the main stage or on the
water. Big name performers, local talent, and vendors. Phone (305) 853-5905.
- Seven Mile Bridge Run—Marathon. Every April over 1,500 runners participate
in the Seven Mile Bridge Run. A limited number
of runners compete, and US 1 is closed during the event. Phone (305) 743-8513.
- Conch Republic Independence Celebration—Key West. Dates back to a
1982 declaration of independence and surrender by the citizens of the Florida
Keys
in protest over a U.S. Border Patrol blockade of
the islands. Phone (305) 296-0213.
June
- Super Boat Races—Key West. High-speed, high-tech boat races in the
harbor. Sponsored by Superboat International. Phone (305) 296-8963.
July
- Reef Awareness Week—A week-long schedule of events throughout all
of the Keys including speakers on coral reef ecology, poetry readings, art
exhibits,
and a sand sculpture contest. Sponsored by American
Express. Phone (305) 294-3100.
- Annual Underwater Music Festival—Looe Key Reef National Marine Sanctuary.
Enjoy six hours of specially selected music broadcast
via underwater speakers at this National Marine Sanctuary site. Sponsored
by the Lower Keys Chamber
of Commerce. Phone (800) 872-3722 or (305) 8722411.
- Hemingway Days Festival—Key West. This 10-day festival includes writers'
workshops, "Papa" Hemingway look-alike contests, a Caribbean street
fair, the annual "Running of the Bulls" and even an arm wrestling
contest. Phone (305) 2941136 or 294-4440.
September
- Historic Seacraft Race & Festival—Big Pine Key. This festival's
accent is on the maritime history of the Florida Keys. The
event includes nonmotorized watercraft races and a kayak paddlers' challenge.
Phone (305) 872-3580 or 8722411.
- Islamorada Heritage Days—Islamorada. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.
Phone (305) 664-4503.
- Clyde Butcher's Annual Labor Day Open House—Big Cypress Gallery. 52388
Tamiami Trail. Located 0.5 mile east of the Big
Cypress National Preserve's Oasis Visitor Center. A three-day event featuring
Butcher's newest work, darkroom
public tours, a large format camera demonstration,
and swamp walks in the backyard. Phone (941) 695-2428.
October
- Indian Key Festival—Indian Key. Relive history and see historical
moments acted out on Indian Key. Vendors and some arts and crafts. Phone
(305) 6644704.
- Octoberfest—Key Largo at St. Justin Martyr Church. A 3-day event that
features a carnival, ethnic food, music, dancing,
and professional entertainers. Occurs each year the weekend before Halloween.
Phone (305) 852-6939.
- Celebration of the Cigar Festival—Key West. Based on the history of
cigar manufacturing in Key West. A weekend of parties, dinners, historical
trolley
tours, live jazz, and performers from New York
City. Phone (305) 2962680.
- Florida Keys Jazz and Blues Festival—Islamorada. Three days of music,
arts, crafts, and food vendors. Held each year
at the Plantation Yacht Harbor overlooking the bay. Phone (305) 8535905.
- Goombay Celebration—Key West. Street fair from Duval Street down to
Petronia Street in historic Bahama Village. Live music and ethnic food. Part
of Fantasy
Fest. Phone (305) 293-8898
- Fantasy Fest—Duval Street, Key West. A 10-day let-it-all-hang-out
Halloween festival complete with costume balls, a fantasy yacht race, a Mardi
Gras massacre,
and a pet masquerade that concludes with the Twilight
Fantasy Parade. Phone (305) 2961817.
November
- World Championship Offshore Powerboat Race Week—Key West. World Championship
super boat race. This event attracts more that
50,000 fans for the crowning of the world champions at the conclusion of
the year's racing season. View
from Mallory Square, Truman Annex, or Fort Zachary
Taylor. Sponsored by Superboat International. Phone (305) 2968963.
- Island Jubilee—Key Largo. An old country fair at Harry Harris Park
and the Upper Keys Arts and Crafts Festival including local performing talent.
Phone (305) 4511414.
- Cayo Carnival Sponsored by Reef Relief—Key West. A benefit for the
protection of Florida's fragile coral reefs. Activities for all ages, food,
and music.
Phone (305) 294-3100.
- Pirates in Paradise Festival—Pirate Invasion in Marathon, on Plantation
Key, and in Key West. Includes performers from
over 40 states! Phone (305) 743-4620 for Marathon festival and (305) 7434386
for Plantation Key and Key
West festivals. Separate weekends.
December
- Miccosukee Tribe of Indians Annual Indian Arts Festival—Miccosukee
Indian Village on Tamiami Trail (US 41). A full week of events featuring
colorfully
costumed Indians from all over the continental
Americas, who join together with song, dance, food, fine Indian arts, jewelry,
crafts, and even alligator
wrestling.
- Christmas Boat Parade—Key Largo at Blackwater Sound. Parade of decorated
boats and holiday music. Can be seen from land
at Upper Keys restaurants near MM 104. Phone (305) 4514502.
- Annual Historic Seaport Music Festival—Key West Seaport. Offers a
variety of music including blues plus food and beverage vendors. Phone (305)
2967182.
- Downtown Holiday Festival—Downtown Naples on 5th Avenue South. Fine
arts festival, music, entertainment, and food. Phone (941) 435-3742.