Key West

Springtime in the Florida Keys & Key West is easy and breezy, with weather that’s ideal for all types of outdoor activities on and in the water and in the Keys’ scenic wide-open spaces.

Female impersonators are to gather in Key West for a playful parody of auto racing, swapping high-speed cars for high-heeled shoes and drag apparel while sprinting along an improvised racetrack Saturday, April 16.

Aspiring Conch Republic citizens can celebrate the offbeat “nation’s” birthday April 15-24 with activities ranging from a drag race for female impersonators to an exuberant sea skirmish featuring tall ships.

Inviting environmental attractions await visitors to the Florida Keys & Key West, whether they’re interested in learning about marine mammals, sea turtles, wild birds or the plant species that add color and lushness to the island chain’s landscape. 

The 200th anniversary of Key West’s first permanent settlement is to be highlighted by a celebration commemorating the date of March 25, 1822, when U.S. Navy Lt. Matthew Perry planted the American flag on island soil.

Seafood lovers can savor fresh local lobster, finfish, shrimp, stone crab claws and more — and salute the hardy fishermen who spend their careers harvesting it — during the 16th annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival set for Saturday and Sunday, April 2-3.

Nature lovers can explore the 15-acre Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden and acquire native and exotic plants Saturday, March 5, during “GardenFest Key West: The Green Market Place 2022.”

Merrymakers can show off their most creative, extravagant and colorful masks and headdress regalia at Key West’s 38th annual Headdress Ball set for Saturday, Feb. 26, at the open-air Coffee Butler Amphitheater at Truman Waterfront Park.

Known for creative, colorful, sometimes quirky artwork and a rich diversity of handcrafted artisan wares, the Florida Keys are recognized throughout the world for artistry inspired by soothing and stunning seascapes and landscapes.