Meeting Of The Minds 2017 Still On In Key West After Hurricane Irma

Parrotheads In Paradise Event Set For November In The Conch Republic

They know how to reason with hurricane season.

The annual Parrotheads, everything Jimmy Buffett and TropRock event in Key West called Meeting of the Minds, is still on for 2017.

Just like Fantasy Fest, this event in the Conch Republic is going ahead as scheduled. The Meeting of the Minds dates are Nov. 1-5.

“We’re still here,” officials have announced on the event’s website.

Open to members of Parrot Heads In Paradise, Inc. chartered, official Parrot Head Club, Meeting of the Minds is a series of events – including the presentation of the Golden Coconut Award to the “most deserving” Parrothead club in the country – concerts by numerous TropRock artists and members of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band.

In 2017, Peter Mayer is scheduled to give a two-hour concert on Sunday, Nov. 4. Jimmy himself, however, is not scheduled to appear (tho, as Parrrotheads know, he tends to show up unannounced at places from time to time).

There is even the TropRock Music Awards show, taking place Saturday, Nov. 3.

Most of of the bands play at the Casa Marina stage; the Casa Marina is the official hotel of the event (and sells out months in advance). The hotel has said it received no damage from Irma.

Key West, hit by Hurricane Irma, has been out of commission the entire month of September. Some hotels have posted they hope to be open before the end of the month while there are other reports stating it will be the mid-October before the Conch Republic is fully back and open to business.

Residents were allowed to return to Key West a week after Irma hit, although the big issue has been a lack of electricity. Up and down the Keys, 300 utility poles were lost or damaged.