November
2024: Santa might wear shorts,
and Key West may never have recorded snowfall at Christmas, but that doesn’t
mean the festive spirit is lacking in the Florida Keys. Winter sun seekers can
get into the yuletide swing of it with the following seasonal events.
Island Art Festival, Big
Pine Key, 30 November
Kicking off the festive
season, visitors can start their Christmas gift shopping at the Lower Keys
Chamber of Commerce’s annual Island Art Festival. The family-friendly outdoor
festival typically includes some 75 booths, featuring handcrafted holiday items
and creations by artists and artisans from the Keys and other Florida locales.
Islamorada Holiday
Fest, Islamorada, 6 December
A 30-ton snow
mountain is just part of the offering at the
Islamorada Holiday Fest at
Founders Park. The celebration’s centrepiece, a 35-foot-tall holiday tree with
“magical” snow blowing through its branches, is lighted, followed by the annual
holiday parade with floats, antique cars, and Santa himself. Other attractions
include musical and dance performances on an outdoor stage throughout the
event, as well as contests to choose “Little Miss Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Mister
Gingerbread Man.”
Key West Holiday Fest,
Key West, 27 November to end December
Continuing throughout
the holiday season,
Key West Holiday Fest is
packed with events designed to spread holiday cheer - all spiced with an
individualistic Florida Keys flair.
- The festivities begin on 27 November
with the sunset illumination of the Harbor Walk of Lights at the Key West Historic Seaport.
- Other signature events include tours
of Key West’s historic lighted inns on two consecutive Fridays, 6 and 13 December
- The Schooner Wharf Bar/Absolut Vodka
Lighted Boat Parade on Saturday, 14 December
- Revellers can enjoy the island city’s
Christmas lights display via the Conch Tour Train and Old Town Trolley
- Culminating with multiple New Year’s
Eve “drops” that spoof New York City’s annual Times Square ball drop
Waterfront Winter
Wonderland, Key West, 13 - 28 December
The
Waterfront Winter Wonderland features
countless traditional elements that make the season sparkle. Planned highlights
include an ice-skating rink where kids and adults can test their skills,
festive light displays, carnival rides, inflatable snow globes, a Christmas
train, musical performances and even appearances by “Southernmost Santa.” Set
for 4-10 p.m. daily at the Amphitheatre, festivities will feature rides
including giant slides for “sledding,” a beautifully decked-out carousel, a
Ferris wheel, carousel swings and a shriek-inducing scrambler. Admission to the
Waterfront Winter Wonderland is $10 per person (free for kids aged 5 and under).
Posted by: Florida Keys & Key West
Posted on: 18/11/2024