Arts & Culture

A first-rate performing arts community in the Florida Keys & Key West offers audiences seasonal musicals, comedies and award-winning performances. A selection of early 2020 highlights is outlined here.

Artists are drawn to the Florida Keys because of the island chain’s deeply-hued, richly colorful natural scenery and an intensively creative spirit that infuses its culture.

Visitors to Key Largo are discovering that chocolate isn’t just a delicious treat found in pastries, cookies and more. They’re learning that creating chocolate confections is truly an art form, thanks to the passion and talents of Kristie Thomas.

More than 20 acclaimed contemporary writers are to explore the literature of sports during the 38th annual Key West Literary Seminar. Scheduled Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 9-12, the seminar is themed “Reading Between the Lines: Sports and Literature.”

Three days of flavorful traditional bluegrass, old time, soulgrass, “newgrass” and Americana bands are to attract thousands of music lovers to the Baygrass Bluegrass & Craft Beer Festival. The event is set for Friday through Sunday, Jan. 17-19, in Islamorada.

Celtic history, culture, food and music are to be featured at the Florida Keys Celtic Festival, a favorite Middle Keys event for families, scheduled Friday through Sunday, Jan. 10-12, 2020.

KEY WEST, Fla. — Supersized dancing bells, disco queens and over-the-top salutes to musical icons entertained revelers during Saturday night’s Fantasy Fest Parade, the highlight of Key West’s 10-day costuming and masking festival that ends Sunday.

The parade featured more than 40 floats and elaborately costumed marching groups, proceeding through Key West’s historic downtown in front of about 60,000 spectators, according to organizers.

Some parade entries illustrated the festival’s musical theme, “In Tune But … Off Key,” including a huge and colorful “living orchestra” of marching instruments conducted by a large replica of the legendary Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

 

Other standouts included a troupe of Caribbean-style dancers in sparkling feather-adorned costumes, grass-skirted patrons at a traveling tiki bar and a squad of Oompa-Loompas from the fictional “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Florida Keys tourism officials said Fantasy Fest brings approximately $30 million in revenues to the island chain each year.

Fantasy Fest 2020 is to be themed “Roaring 20-20’s and Future Fictions!” and is scheduled for Oct. 16-25.

 

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Revelers showed off their most creative headdress regalia at Key West's Headdress Ball, a highlight of the 10-day Fantasy Fest costuming and masking celebration that continues through Sunday, Oct. 27.