Captain Morgan Masquerade March Brings Costumes and Creativity to Old Town Oct. 24
Key West, Fla. (October 7, 2025) — Masks, music, and mayhem are set to fill the streets of Key West as the Captain Morgan Masquerade March steps off on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. Known as the “locals’ parade,” the march invites thousands of costumed revelers to wind their way through Old Town, turning the island’s historic streets into a vibrant playground of creativity and camaraderie.
The Masquerade March has become a Fantasy Fest favorite, blending flamboyant costumes, impromptu music, and spontaneous revelry. Costumers embrace the 2025 festival theme, “Bedtime Stories and Magical Monsters”, with everything from whimsical fairytale creations to frightfully imaginative ensembles. Bands, noisemakers, and whistles add to the high-energy atmosphere as participants parade past welcoming guest houses and stops offering complimentary libations along the way.
The procession is free to join and to watch. Starting points are set at 5:30 p.m. from Truman Avenue and Frances Street, as well as Fleming Street’s “Paparazzi Row,” giving marchers two options to kick off the fun. Guests from near and far are invited to join residents in the spectacle, and for many locals, the march is the highlight of Fantasy Fest, an authentic, unfiltered celebration of community spirit.
As the two routes converge, costumed characters flow together along Fleming and Simonton streets, cheered on by crowds of spectators. The parade culminates near Olivia and Duval streets, but the celebration hardly ends there. After-parties spill into Old Town’s bars, clubs, and street gatherings, ensuring the night carries on well after the march is done.
This year’s march coincides with the return of the Fantasy Fest Street Fair on Duval Street, also taking place Friday, Oct. 24, featuring a mile-long stretch of food, drinks, arts, crafts, and costumes. Together, the march and fair set the stage for Saturday night’s Fantasy Fest Parade, the festival’s grand finale, expected to draw more than 60,000 spectators.
The Captain Morgan Masquerade March is part of Fantasy Fest 2025, Oct. 17–26. Complete details, contest entry links, and schedules can be found at fantasyfest.com.
High-resolution images, photo credits, and captions are available at this link.
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Daniel Bitnar, center, leads a blue-winged group depicting the U.S. Navy’s elite Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron during a past Captain Morgan Masquerade March in Key West, Fla. The free-spirited procession returns Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, inviting thousands of Florida Keys residents and visitors to join the fun. A highlight of Fantasy Fest, the island’s 10-day costuming and masking celebration running Oct. 17–26, the march embraces this year’s theme, “Bedtime Stories and Magical Monsters.” EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Colorful extraterrestrials and other fantastical characters join the Captain Morgan Masquerade March in Key West, Fla. The free-spirited procession returns Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, inviting thousands of costumed revelers to wind through Old Town in celebration of this year’s Fantasy Fest theme, “Bedtime Stories and Magical Monsters.” Known as the island’s “locals’ parade,” the march is among the highlights of Fantasy Fest 2025, the 10-day festival of costumes and creativity set for Oct. 17–26. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Carol Tedesco/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Revelers in flamboyant costumes parade through Old Town during the Fantasy Fest Captain Morgan Masquerade March in Key West, Fla. The free-spirited procession returns Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, embracing the festival theme “Bedtime Stories and Magical Monsters.” Starting points are at Truman & Frances streets and Fleming Street’s “Paparazzi Row,” with the march converging near Olivia and Duval. The Masquerade March is a favorite of Fantasy Fest 2025, the island’s 10-day celebration of costumes and creativity, running Oct. 17–26. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Revelers in flamboyant costumes parade through Old Town during the Fantasy Fest Captain Morgan Masquerade March in Key West, Fla. The free-spirited procession returns Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, embracing the festival theme “Bedtime Stories and Magical Monsters.” Starting points are at Truman & Frances streets and Fleming Street’s “Paparazzi Row,” with the march converging near Olivia and Duval. The Masquerade March is a favorite of Fantasy Fest 2025, the island’s 10-day celebration of costumes and creativity, running Oct. 17–26. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)
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