Attended the seafood festival on vacation, as we heard it was the 50th annual. It's mostly a social…read moreevent with vendors, marine apparel, etc. There's only one seafood tent. The good: -Admission is $5 -You can try different types of (mostly fried) seafood for a reasonable price. The not so good: -Mostly fried seafood and quality was average. Conch fritters had little conch meat in them. -We tried the lobsters and there were just ok -It can get warm under the tents, so plan for the heat. It seems like it would be hard to keep things hot or cold enough for food safety purposes, especially raw seafood.

This is on no way a seafood festival. We drove 3 hours under the guise of seafood vendors selling…read morevaried foods from fresh catch. This was a community festival with 95% of the tents selling keys-specific gear and goods (tshirts, jewelry, ocean art). The area for seafood was maybe tables. Disappointed in the whole experience. Luckily it was only $5 to get in but it's a waste and wrong to label this a seafood festival,

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...

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.

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.

This is our second year attending this music and craft beer festival in Islamorada Key. If love…read morestring instruments this and bluegrass this is definitely one of the better Winter festivities to do. The weather was a little iffy today, given a large storm moved through in the morning, and the afterwards winds were still pretty heavy. It probably scared off folks as traffic heading down to the event was actually much better than expected. We found free parking next to the police station and walked to the event. The venue was similar to the previous year. Proceeds of our ticket purchase helped fund Arts and Music Scholarships for Upper Keys Youths as well as Islamorada Community Entertainment's mission. Entrance fee cost $37.50 per person but included a stainless steel pint cup which was definitely my sustainable than littering our oceans with plastic cups. While that decision may have increased the cost per ticket, I didn't complain. The beer vendors were plentiful and beers were $6 per ticket to fill our 8-10 oz pint cup or $25 for unlimited fills in a 4 oz cup glass mug. Among the list of beer Venders were Florida Keys Brewing, KeyBilly, Barrel of Monks, Twisted Trunk, Bangin Banjo, Due South, The Waterfront Brewery, TBC, Coppertail, Tampa Bay, just to name a few. I was already familiar with many of these and glad to be able to sample from a good selection of beer! For food, there was also a good selection: we ordered tacos, purchased kettle corn, and even had a gyro sandwich. Now talk about diversity. Additional vendors of note were the custom t-shirt printing tent which sold Baygrass event shirts, a honey bee farmer, jewelry, two string instrument vendors that sold high-end custom guitars and mandolins, and a local dive shop, and many more. We purchased the local event T shirt for $15. Sometimes I am a sucker for a nice T. I also didn't expect to but I ended up purchasing a custom ukulele from Jett Instrument Co maker Danny Goddard, who traveled all the way from Tallahassee to sell his instruments. After stopping by his tent at least three or four times and speaking with Danny, I learned the he took the same amount of time to produce his Uke's as he did his guitars. However, the guitars sell for 4-5 times what a Ukulele will fetch, which explained why the one we purchased was only the 2nd of 5 he has ever made. I saw several professional musicians drooling over the guitar and mandolins he had for sale. The ukulele was an exquisite instrument and his inlays of various shell was also remarkable. The event of the main stage was on a slice of beach which was situated next to two playgrounds for kids; the restrooms were also close, which was also very clever and thoughtful--this year extra portable potties had to be set up as the WC were out of order. Not a problem at all. We brought our own fleece blankets, beach chairs and were only feet from the stage. Perhaps the only down side to the entire event were the location of the beer vendors which were located closer to stage #2 which was on the grassy side, about a 2-3 minute walk. We purchased 10 beer tickets and really didn't get a chance to sit down longer than 5-10 minutes to enjoy the music the entire time. One beer was donated to the beach as it spilt chasing after Mayla, who at 18 months had many other other interests besides watching bluegrass. And each beer only lasted about 15-20 minutes, so up we were fetching the next one again. Also, one of my favorite bands The Coppetones played on Stage 2 and I had no idea so I completely missed their act. Wish the organizers had provided or posted performance and location information a bit better. I really didn't mind the walking though, ending up with well over 20k steps that day. All in all it was a successful and fun time. I'd encourage everyone to come next year. The drive back home was beautiful with the Super Moon shining low.

I'm having the time of my life. Planned to come here a month ago with the fam and almost didn't due…read moreto everyone being sick. We pulled together and made it. The sun is starting to peek through late afternoon cloud cover that has been the mainstay all day. The venue has 2 stages of bands, food trucks, merch, vendors and mingling with really fun people. One thing I'd recommend is more bathrooms! The lines out of the public restroom were unreal. Mayla is enjoying playing on her blanket and soaking up everything babies do. I'm really hoping she will love American like I do. Come check out this awesome little fest.

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 stopped by to this bar because it was open after 10pm on a Friday night. It is cash only so be…read moreprepared. They have an outdoor and an indoor section. The outdoor is very nice, live band, lots of chairs and a nice view of the water with a nice pier. We ordered michelobs $4 each. Not too bad. Inside there's a pool table and more tables to sit around and relax. The vibe was very nice. The service is great, we got attended right away at the outside bar. I've never noticed this place before, but now I won't ever forget it. Such a nice experience.

Yay!!! Here at a dive bar after dinner to listen to the band play on stage. Chilled out with…read morefriends in the sand next to the bay with drinks. The bartender was joking with us and looked like a local in the keys. Not a kids place. So glad we stopped here and will come again.

Marizel and her family are truly gifted seers, teachers, coaches and healers. They are warm and…read morebeautiful beings. I highly recommend The Witches Garden.

I was at their shop right before it closed and purchased crystals and reiki candles for my mother…read more She was really out of balance and had numerous medical evaluations with different specialists after being diagnosed with early breast cancer a few months prior, so I decided she should try crystals. I went to this shop for the first time and felt such serenity. I could have honestly been there all day. The owners were great. I told them I wanted to help my mother but didn't give them any details. They directed me to get the 7 chakra candles and crystals that were prepared with reiki by Armando. He instructed me how they should be used and it worked. My mother meditated with the candles and crystals on numerous occasions and not only did all her medical evaluations come back negative she's healthier than she's been in a long time. I feel that she is better not only because she has had a positive attitude and I gave her those candles with love but also because of how they were prepared. Thank you both so much!!!I'm hoping to see you both again and continue to learn from you. Kathy A.

This was such an awesome event during fantasy fest! It happened on the day we arrived and we made…read moreit just in time to start! The costumes were fantastic! There was a group that had an espresso martini cart that they were handing out. I loved it! This is a must do event and also known as the locals parade!!

Seniors wearing only body paint: check People on thongs and…read morenothing else: check Westboro-church like protesters: check This and much more you can find on the annual Fantasy Fest parade that takes place in Key West every year around Halloween time. I have been to this event several times because my husband is from Key West and we visit the town around this time. We usually have a very entertaining time just sitting around and watching the crowd, I don't think this event is for children and I have rarely seen people bringing their kids but it's up to the parents. There is a lot of security and police during and after the parade and have always being safe the times we've gone. If you like what you see in the pictures people post then this event is for you.

The Keys Woofstock is a fantastic, free, dog-friendly event sponsored by MarrVelous Pet Rescues &…read moreAdoptions. Beautiful Founder's Park in Islamorada, FL played host to the thousands of furry friends and the people who obsess over them. Every dog you could imagine was represented at Woofstock: big Great Danes, tiny Chihuahuas, new hybrid types like my unique Royal German Sheagle, marvelous mixes of all kinds, and even a fluffy white guy who was tie-dyed pink, blue, and green in true hippie form. Speaking of tie dye, there certainly was plenty of it. From the vendors to the staff, bright colorful fabric abounded, keeping the theme of the day consistent. The adjacent dog park served to shed some energy off the excited pups, but all animals were leashed and well-behaved as they explored the many booths. Treats and lunch for dogs and humans alike were for sale at reasonable prices. Local restaurants offering fresh seafood added spice to the usual street food type fare. But by far, the most popular and exciting areas were the doggy dock diving and lure racing. For a meager $10, your little angel could race around the track chasing a stuffed animal or fly through the air and into the pool after his favorite toy. It's a competition so make a note of your time and distance! Ours was 10.4 seconds, heck yeah! Plenty of scents for doggy noses and sweet tunes for human eardrums polished up the day perfectly. A local band of teenagers brought ska style funk and fun loving fans who danced hard right up front. Juxtaposed thereafter was the middle aged group of rockers whose drummer crooned 70s ballads and 90s rock anthems to which everyone sang along. My only gripe was that very few of the vendors accepted credit (Latitude 25 being a notable exception) and there was no ATM on site, nor anywhere within walking distance. "It's the Keys!" exclaimed the staff and officers we asked about this oddity. It's inconvenient! Is what I wanted to say back. Alas, I'm playing by their rules so we did what needed to be done and enjoyed the day immensely. Bottom Line: Keys Woofstock is a well-organized event that is fun for the entire family and your furry friends! Keys Woofstock is sponsored by Marr-Velous Pet Rescues & Adoptions of the Florida Keys.

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.