We ended up in Key West for Fantasy Fest by accident. We always go on vacation for my birthday,…read morewhich happened to be this week. I couldn't stop staring at people. Each night is a different theme nights. People dress up in risque costumes and body paint. They have parades and all sorts of things. I recommend coming to experience this at least once, unless you're a prude and easily offended. Then make sure you specifically do not come during this time.

WHAT A BLAST!!! Its similar to Mardi Gras but on a smaller scale but includes the same body…read morepainting and bead necklass wearing and throwing. This is a big October Halloween event in Key West and NOT for kids at all. Very cool parade on Duval Street. Most hotels mandate a 2 or 4 night minimum stay. Just be aware that restaurants and bars are extremely packed. A must try at least once for a really fun experience.

5 stars bc I booked my first Key west trip not knowing we were going to be smack in the middle of…read morethe annual Lobster Fest! Started off with Lobster Tacos... Then went to the stand to pick up freshly squeezed sweet as hell lemonade! (It was just missing Tito's vodka) Stopped at the Lobster Roll truck (nothing much here... except the waffle fries were hot and thumbs up) Freshly made donuts!! On those conveyor machinery thing... yes! Get these!! Ordered the lobster tail on skewer came w potatoes and corn on the cob! Very good! Then for dinner hit up Bagatelle's stand for their tempura fried lobster tail drizzled in honey. I ordered the combo which came with lobster Mac n cheese and a corn on the cob! Yum!!!!!

LobsterFest 2016 was packed with hungry patrons trying to get their hands on Anything and…read moreEverything Lobster! While we only attended the Duval Crawl with Booths lining the street. There is no Ticket Purchase you just pay per Lobster Items you would like. Held in August expect the weather to be sweltering. Put so many people on one street with Grills Fired up, you get Even More Heat! We walked the Duval strip looking at each Booth's Menu that they providing searching for the "Perfect" pick. There is a lot of different Booths to choose from and stands where you can purchase Alcoholic Drinks. The problem was that just about everyone offered the same Lobster Dishes. The majority being Corn on the Cob- Grilled Lobster Tail- Baked Potato... It might just be me but no thanks when it is already as hot as a Lobster Tail outside and with limited table seating you are eating on the street curb. Lots of other vendors were there selling Art, Jewelry, Pet Accessories, Key West Local Creations, and More! Also, don't forget your Lobster Hats, Ears, and LobsterFest Shirts! BRING CASH as Most Vendors & Booths ONLY Accept Cash! Overall, our group of four was not overly impressed with LobsterFest. More of a you've been there and done that.. Now Let's Drink!!!

We made sure to make it down to Mallory Square for at least one sunset celebration during our…read morevisit. It's been almost 30 years since the last time I was here and it certainly has changed. One of the performers explained to us that there are very few acts who continue participating and that they have to pay a fee in order to perform. We saw perhaps 3 acts scattered about on this evening, which is so vastly different from what I fondly remembered. In years past, I recalled jugglers tossing chainsaws and machetes, trained rescue cats jumping through fiery hoops 8 feet high, a kilt wearing bagpiper, etc. This current evening's visit was rather serene. I try not to wax sentimental about the old days, but this is one of those moments where it's so sadly and obviously less than what it used to be on the excitement scale.

As a "tourist" this is "A MUST"... almost to the point that if you visit the keys, then most people…read morewill ask have you watched the sunset at Mallory Square yet. The square (a very large area with pavers and planters facing due west overlooking the Gulf of Mexico) and shortly before sunset, the place awakens with street performers that live off the tips that guests hopefully give, and various rolling shops/kiosks are present with touristy junk to buy and eventually throw into a drawer in your house since you really have no need for a "southernmost buoy bottle opener" or a key west keychain. There are food carts and coconut water straight from the coconut and there are even some odder booths like palm reading and artists making animal figurines from paper clips and wire. And then the sun begins to set and all the visitors congregate along the Gulf of Mexico seawall and watch the sun drop... the sunset is pretty magical here. In our early years, my wife and I loved coming... it was lively and busy but not nearly as crowded and touristy as it is today. If you're here for the first time or if it's been years, then come check it out, it's worth it.

It is best free event and the contestants have bring their "A" game. I think this is one of the…read moreevent should not miss. Finally some one has right body paint that is worth a look. The event indicated 8 pm for the contestants to check in. The contest start at 9:00 pm. Actually the judging not start until 9:30 pm. That is the reason I said go there 5 minutes before 9 pm start is good enough. There is VIP section with pay entrance that allows you stay at front. There was various body artists painting. Some of them is local tattoo artists, some is airbrush artists, and some just painted by themselves. The use of color to props is amazing. Some has their whole body is painted. The winner has vibrant colors with a lot of props. The Expo held at sunset pier in key west. It is adults only entertainment. It attracts some crowd during the competition. The artist here is better than the Duval Street regular participant.

WARNING: The first part of this review is a bit risqué and crude... but I assure you it becomes…read morecleaner as you read... I promise. "BOOBS"... big, small, perky, saggy, robust, droopy... "BUTTS"... round, flat, dimpled, firm, jiggly.... And yes... the occasional... "WIENER"... skinny, thick, long, short, mushroom like, turtle-necks... Truth is, in addition to partying these body parts of some of the first things people think of when they hear the words "FANTASY FEST". Some people even hear the words "KEY WEST" and immediately think of "FANTASY FEST". I would assume the main reason families don't bring the children to Fantasy Fest is because of the indecent dress code. Sadly though, most people have the wrong perception of Fantasy Fest all together... Most people (including those who have been to and those that have not been to Fantasy Fest) think this classic Key West festival is just two days... Just about anyone that is planning a trip looks for hotels for Friday and Saturday night with the belief that Friday is the Masquerade March down Duval Street (followed by a night of bar hopping and partying)... and Saturday night is the famous Street Parade down Duval Street (followed by another night of bar hopping and partying). What they didn't realize is that Fantasy Fest actually begins the Sunday before those events... and there are multitudes of organized parties open to the public, private parties for a fee (many for a good cause in mind), drinking and dining events and so much more.... Granted the Friday night Masquerade March and Saturday night's Street Parade are the highlights (AND LOADED WITH NAUGHTY BEHAVIOR), not all the events are inappropriate for children. That's right... many of them are NOT RISQUE; just one of many reason to bring your kids to Fantasy Fest ! And by far, my favorite event (APPROPRIATE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY) is the "PET MASQUERADE" ! Each and every year the Pet Masquerade takes place on the landscaped lawns of one of the finest hotels on the island, The Flagler Hotel... better known as the "Casa Marina Hotel". Basically the Pet Masquerade is a Pet Costume Contest that is held to benefit the LKFOA (Lower Keys Friends Of Animals)... the contest is broken down into four categories and each category has prizes for first, second and third place... The categories are: * * * Junior Division (all about the kids) * * * Most Exotic (not so much the kids but not crazy either) * * * Pet and Owner Look-Alike (quite funny to watch this one) * * * Fantasy Fest Theme (costumes that match that year's Fantasy Fest theme) Some of my personal favorites have been Bo Peep with her sheep (of course she was dressed as a sexy version of Bo Peep and her dogs were wearing sheep costumes.... another was Richie Rich and his dog Dollar (this little kid and his dog looked just like you'd expect from the old comic books; right down to the dollar sign spots on the dog)... and my ALL TIME FAVORITE was... Colonel Sanders carrying a chicken (his dog dressed like a chicken). And of course every year there are certain costumes you'd expect such as Wizard of Oz characters, all sorts of super heroes (like Superman and his sidekick Robin) and the ever popular 101 Dalmatians (Cruella de Vil with her kidnapped dalmatians). Ironically, everyone just thinks "dogs" and maybe "cats" but there are so many more species than you'd expect. Iguanas, ducks and snakes are not uncommon and sometimes make up some of the best costumes... I remember one year a kid has his pet iguana (maybe a lizard) riding on a miniature Harley Davidson motorcycle. Keep in mind when you choose your costume for this or any other Fantasy Fest gathering that NOTHING is "AVERAGE" in during Fantasy Fest... The costumes you see are, for the most part, over the top and very impressive. Just take a glance at some of the pictures I have uploaded. In addition to the kids having a great time watching and participating in this event is the Pet Masquerade is FREE TO ATTEND... You should keep in mind that the Pet Masquerade's popularity attracts quite the crowd BUT there is an option to pay $20 for VIP Seating... In most situations, I'd say "save your money, it's not worth the cost" but this VIP package is a bargain considering your twenty dollars includes VIP Seating, two drinks and five dollars of your VIP cost goes to the "Lower Keys Friends Of Animals" as a donation.

This is one of my favorite events. The artistic and creative costumes that people come up with for…read moretheir pets never ceases to amaze me. I f you like animals I think you will love this event.

I have seen Randy Roberts's cabaret show many times in the last 13 years and it never grows old,…read moreEnergetic, great impersonations and original performance always updated.

Eight of us enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner at La Te Da for $58 per plate. That was far…read moreless than many Key West restaurants were charging. Plenty of food, all of it good. Lots of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans/haricot vert (which I don't care for) and more. The pumpkin pie was served still partially frozen which was disappointing, but we took it to go and ate it later. I can't speak to their standard menu, but their service was good, the place was comfortable, albeit too dark in our dining room.

This is a really nice event to check out upcoming song writer/performers. It makes the Key West bar…read morescene quite a bit different and more exciting. The venues are spread out all over town and you can see hundreds of performers.

150 PERFORMERS, 40 SHOWS, 5 DAYS/NIGHTS! WHERE: Various…read moreVenues around Key West WHEN: May 6-10, 2015 It doesn't get any better than this. This is by far my favorite Key West event of all throughout the entire year. Country Music songwriter greats from around the country perform at various locations throughout Key West. And the best part... most of the entertainment is FREE! There are two to three musicians on stage at a time. One sings a song, then the next and so forth in rotation. The talent changes every hour so you are never board. 2014 Heralded some amazing talent including Sarah Evens at the main stage on Duval, and the beautiful Kacey Musgraves and Sarah Darling, to name a few. The 2015 Line up is equally as compelling with Jack Ingram, the legendary Robert Earl Keen and Rhett Akins, Josh Dorr's return and Chris Young! Whether you are a country music fan or just plain love music, this is a don't miss event. Smokin' Tuna is an official sponsor, so look for your t-shirts and memorabilia at the gift shop here. There are a few performances that require ticket purchases in advance. Heads up, they sell out quickly. You can purchase CDs and have them signed by the artists too! Check out the Website for a list of 2015 performers for this year's event: http://www.keywestsongwritersfestival.com/index.html

Jump on the bicycles at the beach and pick up breakfast at the bakery, pedal over to coffee shop…read morefor a caffeine wake-me-up and ride over to the Truman Waterfront to enjoy breakfast with a fantastic view.... EXCEPT on this morning there were 10 very unusual "inflatables" at the Waterfront.... think of abstract art but rather than 2 dimensional (like a painting)... THINK BIG... MUCH BIGGER... think 20 feet high... 10 pieces of monumental inflatable sculptures YOU GOT OUR ATTENTION ! ! ! We of course inquire... turns out it's an "art installation" aptly named GIANTS IN THE CITY And as impressed as we were, it turns out this installation is just the tip of the iceberg... Glad we were given a "ART! KEY WEST!" brochure because there is a lot of art to be seen and many events to choose from... THE BASICS: This "Island Wide Art's Festival" is just that... everywhere... Key West was separated into 3 days and each day focused on a specific district (Friday was Truman and White Street District, Saturday was Historic Seaport District and Sunday was Upper Duval District).... Each day there were many events set up in the designated district.... pop-up galleries, pottery wheel demonstrations, fetish mask competition, theatre performances, short story and poetry reading, street performances, street murals, book signings, jazz performances, champagne receptions, art demonstrations and so much more Not only that but keep in mind that just about everything was free to the public... There were even some restaurants that took part hosting "The Art Of Taste"... Azur, Banana Cafe and Bristro 245 all hosted brunches, Casa Marina Hotel hosted a wine pairing and culinary demonstration and Cafe Marquesa hosted a happy hour event It's truly unfortunate that I only discovered this Art Festival on the last day...

Honestly this was a pretty pitiful attempt at a seafood festival for where this is located in the…read moreworld. Only like 3 or 4 tents for seafood and it seemed like it came from the same vendor/group. Mediocre quality and quantity for the price and nothing novel about the seafood being offered. You will not really find interesting seafood dishes here. The music was good at least. The vendor selection was very random, bizarre, and uninteresting. Come on guys, I can buy kitchen knives online and I don't need like 3 vendors selling honey to me at once. The venue selection itself was pretty good as it accommodate the amount of attendees comfortably and even had a nice little water park for kids.

So many options and for a great cause! Admission gets you in BOTH days too. Bring a chair if you…read moreplan to hang and listen to all of the bands. Friendly volunteers working each station. Great experience for a non-local.