Arts & Culture

Ernest Hemingway look-alikes, writers, anglers and fans of the late author’s work are to converge on Key West Tuesday through Sunday, July 18-23, for the annual Hemingway Days celebration. The festival honors the legacy of the American literary giant who lived and wrote on the island for most of the 1930s.

Visitors can discover the Africana cultural heritage of America’s southernmost city during a festival and celebration Thursday through Sunday, June 22-25. 

Readers and writers can uncover valuable clues about enjoying and penning mystery fiction Friday through Sunday, June 16-18, from “suspects” including some of America’s most notable authors.

More than 50 shows featuring over 200 top performing songwriters, including 2017 Grammy winner Maren Morris, await music lovers during the 22nd annual Key West Songwriters Festival. An annual tradition for many of America’s leading country and pop music hitmakers, the festival is scheduled Wednesday through Sunday, May 10-14.

Internationally renowned pianist Jeffrey Biegel is to perform for a Key West audience as the featured soloist in “Untamed Spirit,” the South Florida Symphony’s final MasterWorks concert of its 2017 season. 

Hardly a weekend goes by in the Florida Keys & Key West without a special event or festival taking place. Providing entertainment and enjoyment for visitors virtually throughout the year, the events celebrate everything from the Keys’ colorful history, artistic culture and quirky ambiance to underwater wonders, outdoor adventure and tasty cuisine. 
 

Experience traditional bluegrass, old time and Americana offerings in a waterfront setting during Islamorada’s fifth annual Baygrass Bluegrass Music Festival scheduled Friday through Sunday, Jan. 13-15.

Photography and nature fans can explore an exhibit by Florida’s legendary black-and-white landscape photographer Clyde Butcher this summer at the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center in Islamorada.

For nearly a century the Florida Keys have beckoned many with their natural beauty and vibrant yet laidback atmosphere. But it's not just travelers that gravitate to the intriguing destination. Quaint, quirky and filled with a free-spirited charm, the subtropical islands are a haven for the creative. Artists and artisans from across the globe flock to the Keys and stay, making the island chain their home while helping shape its reputation as a cultural mecca.