The theme last year was "Tinseltown Dreams"
Although lots of people don't dress up for the festival, you have a
lot more fun if you do, or at least wear a mask. Mask makers work
overtime, providing masks of all types.
Street vendors sell masks on the street, and well-known mask makers set
up shop, such as
Headdresses are very popular, and on Tuesday night there was a
Headdress contest that looked like something out of Beach
Blanket Babylon.
The clear winner last year
was The weather in Key West is very warm all day long and through the night. Wear a heavy costume, and you'll be miserable. Wear something less and you'll be much more comfortable. The weather, combined with the friendly and safe atmosphere leads to a lot of daring and very imaginative costumes.
Here
are a few of our favorites
One of the more popular costumes, if you can call it that, is body
paint. It's cool in the Key West heat, and a lot of fun. Part of the
trick is finding out which of the many artists working in Key West are
the most skilled. Some of the body paint was stunning.
Here's the float we were escorting.
(And
another
-- photo courtesy of
Curt MacClain's page)
| Conch Dracula and his Southernmost Bride |  |
 |
Fire truck full of Elvises. |
 |
Float full of Marilyns. |
(Click this picture for more)
Key West is a truly wonderful place -- a tropical paradise that you can drive to. You can go there, and just park yourself at one of the oceanside bars, drink Pina Coladas, listen to Jimmy Buffet and watch the boats and jet skis sail around.
(Carole points out to me that I don't drink Pina Coladas. That's not the point I say. I say the point is, that I could if I wanted to.)
By the way, if you do drive to Key West, be very careful driving through the Key Deer refuge. Key Deer are endangered, and the major cause of death for them is automobile traffic. Please keep alert and don't exceed the speed limit.
Key West is a small island (although it's one of the largest of the Florida Keys.) The touristy part is even smaller. Once you get there, park your car and forget it. You can rent a bike for cheap, or if you're staying in Old Town, you can just walk everywhere.
Duval street and Mallory square are the real ultra-touristy parts. Sort of like Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. You can't walk more than ten paces before someone tries to sell you a diving or fishing trip or a tee-shirt. The dive trip sellers are selling tickets to the various boats that leave from the harbor. The sellers are competing with each other to sell tickets on pretty much the same boats, so I honestly can't tell you how to find the good deals or which boats to ride on. I will say that there are two primary kinds of dive trips: the dive-only trips meant for hard-core divers. They put you on a small boat, drive out to the reef and throw you into the water. No amenities, and you're back by early afternoon. The other kind of boat is a sort of luxury snorkel-and-brunch deal on a larger boat. The trip out is more leisurely, the diving more relaxing, and they feed you wine and cheese for lunch. Sunset cruises can be fun too.
Note: I would advise against buying a tee-shirt in Key West. They cost too much, they brand you as a tourist, and worst of all, the tee-shirt shops are driving the local businesses out of town.
Interestingly enough, we ran into Larry from Haulover there. A miracle,
considering the crowds.
A reader asks
Looking for Kevin Hopkins
My name is Mary Burke. My brother Kevin Hopkins used to make costumes for
Fantasy Fest before he died in 1996. I hadn't seen him in over 20 years and
only recently learned he was dead. Did you know him or maybe you know someone
who knew him? Please let me know.
If anybody knew Kevin Hopkins, please
contact me, and I'll forward
the info.
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Some more masks