Fantasy Fest Key West

Fantasy Fest is Key West's ten-day costume and street party at the end of October. It is not a Pride. Four local merchants started it in 1979 to fill hotel rooms in the dead off-season, and University of Tampa historian Robert Kerstein notes that several of the founders were gay businessmen pushing tourism. That shows today: the gay guesthouses and bars on lower Duval are among the busiest places on the island that week, and plenty of gay men plan their year around it.

Each year has a theme that sets the costumes. Most street events are free, including the Saturday-night parade on Duval Street, the Masquerade March and the street fairs. The masked balls and private parties are ticketed. Body paint is the signature look, and it means a lot of near-nudity on Duval after dark; this is an adult event, and families with young children generally skip the final weekend. Hotels in Old Town sell out months ahead. The organizers publish a code of conduct, so read it, and leave the car behind: Old Town is walkable and parking that week is close to impossible.