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A look at the Mardi Gras of the Conch Republic, the wild and crazy Fantasy Fest Halloween party in Key West.

Fantasy Fest in Key West
Wild Halloween 2011 Event is Oct. 20-31

The annual parade down Duval Street is the Fantasy Fest highlight.
Photo: FantasyFest.net

When it comes to costumes and Halloween, few places can match the craziness of Key West.

Every year, the city hosts a spectacular multi-day event known as Fantasy Fest, a week of zany events that consists of more than 40 masquerade contests, galas, parties, promenades and other events.

The 2011 event is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 20, through Monday, Oct. 31.  

And while the entire week is full of fun – it's Key West, after all – the unquestioned highlight is the annual parade down Duval Street. 

The flamboyant parade – the Mardi Gras of Key West – will take place on Saturday, Oct. 29 and typically includes more than 50 decorated and motorized floats, many towering two stories high and featuring music, light shows and oversized moving parts. Accompanying them are Caribbean bands, marching groups and street dancers garbed in extravagant sequined and feathered costumes. It's free and some 60,000 people attend.

The 2011 theme is "Aquatic Afrolic." Where else could this be, but Key West!?

As an example of what to expect, past parades have included a float with a massive sculpted witch's head that rose more than 30 feet into the air, an oversized barbershop quartet dressed to emulate the film character "Beetlejuice" and a castle full of disco-dancing Draculas and their victims.

The festival's pre-parade activities are to begin at noon Saturday with the open-air Duval Street Promenade. The exuberant insanity is to include vendors offering masking and costuming finery, food and drink, spirited live entertainment and costumed merrymakers galore.

At 7 p.m. the parade is scheduled to begin at the intersection of Southard and Whitehead streets. Floats, bands and other parade participants are to travel down Whitehead toward the Gulf of Mexico, turn onto Front Street and then proceed the mile down Duval to the Atlantic Ocean. Past years' parades have drawn more than 60,000 spectators.

Fantasy Fest also provides many other opportunities for people to indulge their taste for glitz, glitter and design excess. Costumed characters are to star in a vampires' ball, masquerade contest for pets and their people, buccaneer bash and much more.

Additional festival information is available at: www.fantasyfest.net, or call (305) 296-1817.

The official Keys website is: www.fla-keys.com.

– PubClub.com Key West Articles – 

• Settle into the laid-back mood of Key West in PreParty.
• Kick back then kick into high gear with The Bartender.
• Hear the best bands, enjoy the world's best sunset, hang out with locals or follow the crowd in PubClubbing.
• Scuba diving, seaplane rides or just plain hangin' are listed in PostParty.
• Learn all about conch fritters in PubGrub.
• Meet the colorful Characters of Key West.
• Enjoy the journey: take a guided tour through the Florida Keys.

Related Article: Key West Visitor's Guide

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