FANTASY FEST 2018

For those of you who do not know what Fantasy Fest is, here is a history lesson:

"Fantasy Fest is an annual 10-day party in paradise for grown-ups. Started in 1979 by a small group of Key West locals, the party was created to bring visitors to the island in what was a typically quiet, but beautiful season. It worked. Fantasy Fest has grown every year since its inception and is now the wildest extravaganza around! Fun-loving revelers from around the globe bring their creativity and imaginations as they descend upon Key West each year in October for 10 days filled with costuming, parades, libations, and excitement! " (https://www.fantasyfest.com/)

It was estimated that roughly 60,000 visitors gathered Saturday night for the flamboyant parade. I believe it!

Fantasy Fest is different for everybody. For me, I don't really want to see painted... or unpainted, boobs walking down the street. And truthfully, I don't understand why a woman would want everyone staring and taking pictures of her naked body... in public... by strangers. But, to each his own. 

We had some really cool floats this year. The theme was "OH...THE GAMES WE PLAY". The floats were very good this year. My favorite was the big dragon above the Ice Wall, complete with skeletons climbing the wall. Game of Thrones theme. And the makeup was awesome. I have never had luck with pictures coming out, so I didn't even try this year.

Photo credit to @mrossi3672

Pic: Carol Tedesco

I'm ready for our little island to go back to normal. Oh, wait... it's almost "SEASON", which means the Snowbirds flock to our islands to winter in our warm climate. (sigh) That's what happens when you live in a place called PARADISE!

FANTASY FEST 2015

Remember when you were a kid, you went on Spring Break, got crazy, went home... and thought nobody would ever know? With a camera in every hand, and the internet posts... you can't rely on that  now.

We went to the Fantasy Fest Parade last night. When some of these people walked by, my first thought was, "Before you walked out the door, did you look in the mirror and say to yourself "I LOOK GOOD!" My second thought was, "What would your mother think!" There were some that had well thought-out costumes that were really cool. There were some that just threw on a mask. There were many, like me, that didn't dress in a costume.

This year, the parade was taped and uploaded to YouTube. I could have just stayed home and watched! lol

FANTASY FEST 2013

Here in Key West, Halloween is celebrated a little differently than other parts of the country...we have Fantasy Fest. I am, however, thankful I no longer work on Duval Street, the party street. I was wondering how awkward it was going to be with practically naked people in our store. Let me explain: Fantasy Fest gives people the liberty to paint their body, wear skimpy costumes, and parade drunkenly down Duval Street.

photo by Rob O'Neal

This is my first time to experience Key West's Fantasy Fest. It is a 10 day event, with many different events everyday. A co-worker asked me if I would take off my shirt and paint my body. That got me to thinking about all the people here that do exactly that. Many come from the mainland thinking that they can go wild here and nobody from home will ever know. Haha, before camera phones and YouTube, that may have been true. With advanced photography technology at our fingertips, anything can end up online. If you don't believe me, go to YouTube and search "Fantasy Fest, Key West". Dare you.

          This is the Zombie Bike Ride.                                 photo by Rob O'Neal

I stayed away from most of the craziness, but felt the need to experience Fantasy Fest, so Chuck and I made our way down for the parade on the final evening. Since my blog is G-rated, I will not publish photos of the many bare-breasted females that roamed Duval Street, along with the reported 60,000+ spectators for the parade. This is our biggest event of the year.

photo by Andy Newman

Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, who recently swam from Cuba to Key West, rides atop the grand marshal float.

photo by Andy Newman

Every Fantasy Fest has a theme, and this year was SUPER HEROES, VILLAINS & BEYOND.
On Sunday, there was a carnival for the kids.

There were many booths of food and fun games for the children. The stage featured many group performances from the dance schools and musical talents.

Amy brought all three kids out for the festivities, and Aiden enjoyed a couple of the rides.












Child ID Program was available for anyone at no charge. This is a great program and Aiden took his turn. We hope it is never needed, but a great tool if it is.

Another Fantasy Fest is in the books, and next year's theme was announced: Animeted Dreams & Adventures. Chuck and I believe it is more fun to be a part of the parade, rather than a spectator. Next year, we will watch the spectators from a float.