Start of Key West Fantasy Fest – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Chuck Wagner
Fantasy Fest, the biggest annual event by far in the tourist-heavy Key West, will stay on the calendar but its events have been whittled down.
The event’s organizers said on Monday that the parade and street fair will not happen this year due to COVID-19 concerns as cases rise.
“We cannot look into the future, but we can certainly see what is happening in our community today and the impact that the new variant of COVID-19 has made,” festival director Nadene Grossman Orr said in a statement.
She also added that they are requesting that people only attend if they are fully vaccinated, although the event’s website says “be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID test within 72 hours of attending the festival.”
Fantasy Fest is still set for Oct. 22-31.
“Fantasy Fest will look different this year but it is not canceled!” she wrote. “Please do your part as we continue to navigate the best way to gather safely in October.”
The official website includes a page of COVID-19 safety recommendations:
- Wear masks when you can’t socially distance
- Bring hand sanitizer
- Stay home if you have any COVID symptoms
The beloved parade set for the end of Fantasy Fest would have attracted thousands to Duval Street to watch large floats and walking groups pass by, but partygoers can still attend the 10-day event that features scantily clad and body-painted people filling Duval throughout the night.
“Key West and the Florida Keys are open for business and our festival partners are looking forward to welcoming you,” Grossman Orr said.
The Key West City Commission will discuss Fantasy Fest and other upcoming events including the November boat races at a meeting set for 5 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.
“I think we’ll discuss everything that’s left through the end of the year just to see if there are safe ways we can host the events,” said Mayor Teri Johnston.
Johnston acknowledged Grossman Orr for showing concern for the community by canceling the street fair and parade.
“I really appreciate her concern for the community,” Johnston said. “I know it was difficult. It’s late in the game and she had done a lot of work on it.”
Fantasy Fest’s annual Masquerade March, also known as the “locals parade,” is on hold for now.
“We will make a determination at a future date as to our ability to safely hold the March,” Grossman Orr wrote.
Fantasy Fest began in 1979 when a group of business owners decided to throw a party and parade as a way to attract more people to the island when tourism came to a standstill. Now, this monstrous celebration brings in about 75,000 people annually, bringing major business for hotels and restaurant owners. The festival was canceled for the first time in its 41-year run last year due to the pandemic.
The decision to cancel this year’s parade and street fair come after the announcements of several other cancellations.
The insanely popular Zombie Bike Ride that was set to take place on the first Sunday of Fantasy Fest — and brings nearly 10,000 people — will not be happening either.
“You can’t critical mass without the mass,” the event’s producers said in a post on Facebook. “And you can’t ignore the virus while friends are dying, our hospital is at the brink, vaccination levels aren’t where they need to be, and other reasonable safety measures cannot be mandated or enforced.”
The Zombie Bike Ride did not happen in 2020 as well.
A.H. Monroe’s board of directors said it was canceling the annual “Royal Campaign of Fantasy Fest.” This is a large fundraiser for the nonprofit organization that provides both housing and healthcare referrals to those living with HIV.
The events for the campaign would have run over several weeks as people run for king and queen of the festival with the goal of raising money for A.H. Monroe to win the title. The announcement was made just hours before the kickoff party was to begin.
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