Articles tagged with 'arts & culture' | Florida Keys

The laid-back atmosphere of the Florida Keys carries the sound of music across the island chain with live musical performances — both indoor and outdoor —and music festivals in several genres to delight Keys visitors.While a number of notable …

The 2025 performing arts season in the Florida Keys & Key West is set to captivate audiences with lively musicals, comedies, dramas and other top-notch performances. Here are some upcoming highlights.Since 1978, The Key Players group has brought …

Growers and lovers of fragrant and colorful exotic orchids can celebrate that passion during the Key West Orchid Festival set for Friday through Sunday, Feb. 28 through March 2.The three-day event — attracting up to 3,000 participants annually — is …

An exclusive opportunity to explore five of Key West’s beautiful private gardens awaits horticulture buffs Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22, during once-a-year tours presented by the Key West Garden Club.Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. both days, tour …

One of the New World’s oldest shipwrecks, Civil War-era emancipation in Key West, and the discovery of two fabled sunken Spanish galleons are to be highlighted for audiences during a winter lecture series at the island city’s Mel Fisher Maritime …

A scenic boardwalk on Key West’s historic waterfront is to become an open-air gallery of creative offerings Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 22-23, during the Key West Art and Craft Festival.  Set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, the free-admission …

The Florida Keys Community Concert Band brings its upbeat Pops in the Park series of monthly outdoor concerts to Islamorada and Key Largo for another toe-tapping season.The free-admission performances are set for Saturdays at 4 p.m. Dates for 2025 …

Attendees at the 19th annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival scheduled Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15-16, can celebrate the region’s world-renowned fresh seafood and the commercial fishermen who devote their careers to harvesting it.Presented by the …

Attendees can rock to music by renowned regional bands and entertainers while benefiting the José Wejebe Memorial Foundation at the Lower Keys’ seventh annual Spanish Fly Music Festival.The event is set for 1-6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at Boondocks …

Celtic culture, music, food and history are to be celebrated at the annual Florida Keys Celtic Festival, a favorite family event in the Middle Keys set for Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 11-12.Pre-festival kick-off parties are to take place at two …

There’s always something happening in the Florida Keys & Key West, from eclectic festivals focusing on the area’s colorful history, arts and notable cuisine to events that celebrate the Keys’ unique environment, underwater adventures and quirky …

Steve Earle, the Red Clay Strays, Shane Smith and the Saints, the Randy Rogers Band, Reckless Kelly and other celebrated musicians from the Americana and “Red Dirt” genres are slated to perform in subtropical Key West Tuesday through Saturday, Jan. …

Leading American and international writers are to explore the topic of family and familial ties during the 42nd annual Key West Literary Seminar, an intimate gathering for literature fans set for Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 9-12.Headquartered at …

FLORIDA KEYS — Santa is likely to arrive in the Florida Keys by schooner instead of by sleigh, traveling with a team of dolphins rather than reindeer — at least during the festive lighted boat parades that enliven the Keys’ holiday season.Boat …

Lighthearted takeoffs on the traditional ball drop in New York’s Times Square are to highlight New Year’s Eve in Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States. And because “winter” in the subtropical spot means balmy breezes …

The forecast calls for lots of snow along with subtropical breezes during Islamorada’s 20th annual Holiday Fest set for 4-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, on the Great Lawn inside Founders Park, mile marker 87 bayside.A 30-ton snow mountain is to attract …

Huge, outrageous masks and headdress regalia wowed crowds Thursday night at the 41st annual Fantasy Fest Headdress Ball at Key West’s Coffee Butler Amphitheater.The event was a highlight of the 10-day Fantasy Fest costuming and masking …

Florida’s stone crab claw harvest season runs from Oct. 15 to May 1, and the Florida Keys’ annual Stone Crab Eating Contest is an undisputed highlight of the season. The lively competition, this year set for Saturday, Nov. 2, draws enthusiastic …

Spectators can anticipate flamboyant festivities, carnival capers and ’90s flashbacks Saturday, Oct. 26, during the Key West Fantasy Fest Parade — with a “haunting” presence and a Florida Keys paranormal expert leading the procession as grand …

Revelers can experience sights, sounds and flavors recalling Key West’s Bahamian heritage at the family-friendly Goombay Festival scheduled Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18-19.The exuberant street festival takes place in the island city’s Bahama Village …

In 1700, the English merchant slave ship Henrietta Marie sank 35 miles west of Key West shortly after offloading 190 captured Africans in Jamaica. Nearly 325 years later, using the shipwreck and artifacts recovered from it as a focal point, Key …

Divers interested in participating in the 26th annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest Saturday, Oct. 19, should pack their creativity along with their dive gear for the quirky event in Key Largo waters.Crafty carvers are to descend 30 feet …

The fur is certain to fly in Key West Wednesday, Oct. 23, when costumed canines, felines in fancy dress, and other crazy critters unleash their “animal magnetism” before hordes of spectators during the Fantasy Fest Pet Masquerade.  The offbeat …

Thousands of masked and costumed partiers are to unleash their free-spirited alter egos during the Captain Morgan Masquerade March, a lively walking parade set for Friday, Oct. 25. The promenade through Key West’s historic Old Town is a …

Known as a haven for sun-seekers, Key West might seem an unusual place for creatures of the dark to congregate — except, that is, during the annual Zombie Bike Ride. Thousands of “the bicycling dead” are to prowl the island’s Atlantic Ocean …

Revelers can showcase their most creative masks and outrageous headdress regalia at the annual Headdress Ball slated for Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater located in Key West’s Truman Waterfront Park.The much-anticipated event is …

Combining Islamorada’s vibrant sights, sounds and tastes, the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District’s Third Thursday Art Walk is an event where visitors can discover and enjoy stimulating fine arts, boutique shops, live music and culinary …

Revelers are to celebrate 1990s flashbacks and carnivalesque pageantry during Key West’s Fantasy Fest, set for Friday, Oct. 18, through Sunday, Oct. 27. The internationally renowned costuming and masking festival is to feature masquerade parties, …

Fans of beers and ales can sample more than 150 of them, while also discovering the flavors of the continental United States’ southernmost island, during a festival “brewed” especially for Labor Day weekend.The annual Key West BrewFest is scheduled …

The late singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett is to be honored with a celebration set for Aug. 30 through Sept. 2 in Key West, the place where he developed the signature “tropical rock” style and laid-back persona that helped make him a world-renowned …