From Zany to Tangy, July in the Florida Keys Means Key Limes, Hemingway, Freedom and Fishing
FLORIDA KEYS (June 23, 2025) — From tart pies to star-spangled skies to literary legends, the Florida Keys are brimming with a sensational lineup of summer events. Here’s what’s happening across the Florida Keys & Key West this July 2025.
JULY FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Key Lime Festival
July 2-6, Key West The world’s most sensational citrus dessert gets the celebration it deserves in the birthplace of Key lime pie. Enjoy five delicious days of tangy fun with cookbook signings, lime-inspired brunches, pie drops from the Lighthouse, and the famous Key Lime Pie Eating Contest on the 4th of July. Runners can join the festive 5K, and cocktail fans can sip their way through a zesty Key lime rum stroll. Learn more.
Underwater Music Festival
July 11-12, Looe Key Reef Head to the Lower Keys for a one-of-a-kind celebration of music, marine life and environmental stewardship. The 41st Annual Underwater Music Festival kicks off July 11 at the Mote Marine Laboratory's Summerland Key facility, where attendees connect with fellow ocean enthusiasts and learn about the importance of preserving the underwater world. The highlight of the festival takes place July 12 at the stunning Looe Key Reef, where divers and snorkelers join costumed characters “playing” whimsical, faux instruments in a vibrant sub-sea concert. Learn more.
Women’s Dive Day Tours
July 19, Islamorada On Women’s Dive Day, celebrate pioneering women in diving with special guided tours at the History of Diving Museum. Tours are free with admission and run at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Learn more.
Hemingway Days
July 23-27, Key West Each July, Key West honors one of its most legendary residents, renowned author Ernest “Papa” Hemingway, with a vibrant, multi-day festival that blends literature, adventure, and quirky island charm. The week will feature:
- The Hemingway Look-Alike Contest (July 23-26) at Hemingway’s old haunt, Sloppy Joe’s Bar, features dozens of bearded hopefuls competing in front of cheering crowds. Don’t miss the public “Meet the Papas” mixer on opening night and the hilarious Running of the Bulls on Saturday, featuring Hemingway doppelgängers and wooden bulls parading down Greene Street.
- Literary events and museum exhibits highlight the author’s life, work, and legacy, including readings, scholarly panels, and a special pre-festival birthday celebration on July 21 with cake and cocktails at Sloppy Joe’s.
- The Hemingway 5K Sunset Run & Paddleboard Race begins and ends at the island’s most iconic landmark — the Southernmost Point Buoy, followed by a beach party with awards and tastings of Papa’s Pilar Rum and Islamorada Brewery & Distillery Beer. On Sunday, cap off the celebration with the quirky Beach N’ Beer Mile and a lively pool party at Rum Row.
- Full schedule and details at hemingwaydays.com.
Reef Relief: 10th Annual Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash
July 31, Key West Deadheads unite! Dance to live Grateful Dead jams at this community fundraiser supporting the local ocean education and conservation organization Reef Relief. Taking place at the Green Parrot Bar, good vibes are guaranteed. Learn more.
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS & FESTIVITIES
- Big Pine Key (July 3): At Big Pine Community Park, enjoy family-friendly fun, food vendors, live music, and a relaxed fireworks display. Learn more.
- Key West (July 4): Catch fireworks with your toes in the sand or a view from Edward B. Knight Pier. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Key West. Learn more.
- Marathon (July 4): A classic Keys celebration with a beach bash at Sombrero Beach. The fireworks will be choreographed to patriotic tunes via US1 Radio 104.1. Learn more.
- Islamorada (July 4): At Founders Park, experience an evening of live music, kids’ games, food trucks, and waterfront fireworks. Bring a chair and stay for the fireworks at 9 p.m. Learn more.
- Key Largo (July 4): The daytime parade kicks off at 10 a.m., followed by an evening celebration with food, vendors, and fireworks over Blackwater Sound. Learn more.
FISHING EVENTS
- Billy Knowles Memorial Poor Boys Tarpon Fly Tournament (July 4–6): A grassroots favorite, this tarpon fly tournament is as laid-back as the Keys themselves. Anglers of all experience levels compete for the most tarpon releases over four feet. Learn more.
- Del Brown Invitational Permit Tournament (July 7–10): During this premier fly-fishing event on Sugarloaf Key, top anglers and guides test their skills on the Lower Keys flats. Learn more.
- Key West Marlin Tournament (July 23–26): Running alongside Hemingway Days, this high-stakes tournament on Stock Island offers $50,000 in cash prizes. Competitors chase marlin and other species in waters once fished by Papa himself. Learn more.
High-resolution images and captions are available at this link.
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David "Bat" Masterson, center, finishes singing a parody of the Garth Brooks hit "Friends in Low Places" during the final round of the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest Saturday, July 20, 2024, at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Fla. Masterson, a 71-year-old retired helicopter pilot from Daytona Beach, Fla., bested 121 other contestants to earn the look-alike victory on his 10th attempt. The contest is the highlight of the annual Hemingway Days festival, which honors the renowned author Ernest Hemingway, who lived and wrote in Key West for most of the 1930s. This year's Hemingway Days festival will take place from July 23 to 27, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)
David "Bat" Masterson, center, celebrates his 2024 victory with past winners of the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest Saturday, July 20, 2024, outside Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Fla. Masterson, a 71-year-old retired helicopter pilot from Daytona Beach, Fla., bested 121 other contestants to take the look-alike title on his 10th attempt. The contest was a highlight of the subtropical island's annual Hemingway Days festival that honors renowned author Ernest Hemingway, who lived and wrote in Key West during most of the 1930s. This year's Hemingway Days festival takes place July 23-27, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Bearded Hemingway look-alikes in red berets lead wooden bulls on wheels down Greene Street during Key West's whimsical "Running of the Bulls" on Saturday, July 20, 2024. The lighthearted spoof of Pamplona's famous run features a much slower pace and zero danger, with contestants from the annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest parading past the iconic Sloppy Joe's Bar, Papa's old hangout. The event highlights the quirky island spirit of Hemingway Days, the annual festival celebrating the renowned author who called Key West home in the 1930s. This year's festival runs July 23-27, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)
A crowd of bearded Hemingway look-alikes in matching white outfits and red berets guide wooden bulls through the streets during Key West's playful "Running of the Bulls" on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Spectators line Duval Street to watch the whimsical tribute to Pamplona's famous bull run. The event is a highlight of Hemingway Days, the annual festival honoring the Nobel Prize-winning author who made Key West his home in the 1930s. This year's festival takes place July 23-27, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Hector Rodriguez of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, triumphed in last year’s World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship by devouring a complete Key Lime pie in 1 minute, 58.52 seconds, without the use of his hands. The competition, held on the Fourth of July, is one of numerous Key Lime Festival events set to take place July 2-6, 2025. (Photo: Carol Tedesco/KeyLimeFestival.com)
Up to 25 contestants will go head-to-head on Thursday, July 4, in the 2025 World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship at Key West’s Southernmost Beach Café, all for a shot at the coveted championship belt. The no-hands, face-first showdown begins at 1:30 p.m. and serves as the sticky, sweet centerpiece of the annual Key Lime Festival. (Photo: Carol Tedesco/KeyLimeFestival.com)
A costumed diver swims near sergeant major fish during the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival Saturday, July 13, 2024, at Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Hundreds of divers and snorkelers participated in the annual event, listening to music broadcast underwater through specialized speakers. The festival promotes marine conservation and responsible diving practices through education and community engagement. This year's festival takes place July 11-12, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Two divers costumed as mermaids dance to music piped beneath the sea during the during the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival Saturday, July 13, 2024, at Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Hundreds of divers and snorkelers participated in the annual event, which features music broadcast underwater through specialized speakers. The festival promotes marine conservation and responsible diving practices. This year's festival takes place July 11-12, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Costumed divers perform with prop instruments during the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival Saturday, July 13, 2024, at Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Hundreds of divers and snorkelers participated in the annual event, which features music broadcast underwater through specialized speakers. The festival promotes marine conservation and responsible diving practices. This year's festival takes place July 11-12, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Frazier Nivens/Florida Keys News Bureau)
Costumed participants perform with prop instruments at the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival Saturday, July 9, 2022, at Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Hundreds of divers and snorkelers participated in the annual event, which features music broadcast underwater through specialized speakers. The festival promotes coral reef conservation and responsible diving practices. This year's festival takes place July 11-12, 2025. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Mike Papish/Florida Keys News Bureau)
ABOUT THE FLORIDA KEYS & KEY WEST
The Florida Keys & Key West is a premier getaway destination located at the southernmost tip of Florida and the continental United States. The Keys stretch over 125 miles connected by 42 bridges and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf. Discover the spectacular array of diverse activities offered in the Florida Keys like fishing, diving, natural wonders, fine dining and cultural heritage. From large resorts, secluded waterfront hideaways and courtyard guest houses, visitors can uncover the perfect place for their vacation. Restoration, renovation and preservation have become a way of life in the Florida Keys. Whether you’re driving or flying into the Keys, one thing is for sure: there’s simply no place quite like it. Want more reasons to visit The Florida Keys & Key West? Get inspired at visitfloridakeys.com and follow us @thefloridakeys on social media.
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Visit Florida Keys & Key West
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Visit Florida Keys & Key West PR Agency Team (TURNER)