Home Consumer View The Fantasy Fest Parade Highlights Key West Revelry

View The Fantasy Fest Parade Highlights Key West Revelry

KEY WEST, Fla.  Prancing unicorns, dazzling floats and costumed marching groups entertained spectators Saturday night in a lavish parade, the highlight of Key West’s 10-day Fantasy Fest costuming and masking festival that ends Sunday.

Sponsored by Bud Light, the Fantasy Fest Parade featured more than 40 entries, all proceeding through the island city’s historic downtown in front of some 60,000 spectators.

Some parade entries illustrated the festival’s theme, “Uniforms and Unicorns … 200 Years of Sailing into Fantasy,” commemorating the Florida Keys’ 2023 bicentennial and that of the U.S. Navy’s presence in Key West.

Faith Based Events

They included six uniformed marchers with huge blue wings depicting the Navy’s elite Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron, and an elaborate float and walking group portraying a Kentucky Derby for unicorns.

Among other standouts were a troupe of Caribbean-style dancers in glittering costumes and a “litter” of mischievous oversized felines.

Fantasy Fest’s final events on Sunday include a children’s carnival and an afternoon dance party.

The festival was launched in 1979 to boost Key West’s fledgling tourism economy during a typically slow time of year. Now, tourism officials said, it brings some $30 million in annual revenues to the Florida Keys.

Fantasy Fest 2024, themed “It’s a 90’s Neon Cosmic Carnivale!,” is scheduled for Oct. 18-27.


Disclaimer

The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components