Keys Events

Florida Keys & Key West Events Information, Accommodations of the Florida Keys. Plan your Island vacation around an event or holiday.
Events calendar provided by www.fla-keys.com.

Events in the Florida Keys for July, 2018 Year: 2018 2019 Month: January February March April May June July August September October November December   June 29 to July 01,  in Key West Key West Island Swim: FKCC Swim Around Key West The officially sanctioned event (June 30) is a 12.5-mile swim clockwise around the island of Key West that is open to all age groups. Individual swimmers and relay teams can compete. The route takes swimmers through the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, ending where they began at Higgs Beach. Contact: Lori Bosco 305-809-3562 Email: aqualb@aol.com; lori.bosco@fkcc.edu June 30 to July 04,  in Key West Sixth Annual Key Lime Festival A wacky talent show, pie-eating and cooking contests and other tasty temptations await Key West visitors during the annual Key Lime Festival. Four days of culinary events for every taste are planned, including favorites from past years like the Key Lime Cocktail Sip & Stroll, and new favorites for Key Lime lovers like The Key Lime Pie Hop. Email: lizlovekw@gmail.com July 03,  in Big Pine Big Pine & Lower Keys Rotary Club's Pre-Independence Day Activities On Big Pine Key, the Big Pine & Lower Keys Rotary Club is to host pre-Independence Day activities beginning at 5 p.m., at Big Pine Community Park, mile marker 30. Attractions include vendors, food, beverages, games, family activities, 50/50 raffle and entertainment. Fireworks are scheduled at 9 p.m. Admission is free, but no coolers, pets or personal fireworks are allowed. Contact: 305-923-5370 July 04,  in Key West Rotary Club of Key West Annual 4th of July 5k Walk/Run The Rotary of Key West civic group also stages a 4th of July 5k Walk/Run that begins and ends at the Edward B. Knight Pier, located at 1801 White St., from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Pre-registration is $25, available online until 4 p.m., July 3. After 4 p.m., registration fee increases to $30 per person. Register online. July 04,  in Big Pine Celebrate Independence Day with a Party at the Perry No entry fee, open to the public! Celebrate Independence Day at The Perry Hotel from 2-8 p.m. Splash around the waterfront pool, enjoy live music, and food and drink specials from both Salty Oyster Dockside Bar & Grill and Matt's Stock Island Kitchen & Bar. Inflatables, poolside games, 4th of July favors and more make The Perry the perfect pre-party for the entire family. Contact: (786) 862-6636 July 04,  in Key Largo Fireworks Show on Blackwater Sound Blackwater Sound provides the perfect nighttime mirrorlike surface to make the annual fireworks display seem like a 3-D viewing experience designed to dazzle. The show is to take place on the bayfront in Key Largo at 10 p.m., July 4. The best seating can be found at Jimmy Johnson's Big Chill, Sundowners and Senior Frijoles restaurants, Caribbean Club and Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort, all located around mile marker (MM) 104 bayside. Reservations are suggested because seating is limited; contact restaurants directly. July 04,  in Marathon Marathon Beach Party & Fireworks Show For one of the Keys' largest and longest fireworks displays, families gather for a day of activities in Marathon including a patriotic parade that begins around 10:30 a.m. and proceeds from Marathon High School on Sombrero Beach Road (MM 50 oceanside) to free-admission Sombrero Beach, where a daylong celebration features food, drink, kids' crafts and entertainment, capped off after dark with fireworks. Contact: 305-743-5417 Email: info@floridakeysmarathon.com July 04,  in Key West Rotary Club of Key West Picnic & Annual Fireworks Show Now in its 33th year, the 4th of July Picnic is a Key West tradition for generations of locals and visitors alike. The Rotary Club of Key West will hold the picnic at the Casa Marina Resort, 1500 Reynolds St., at 5 p.m., along with the Key West Fireworks Celebration at 9 p.m. at the Edward B. Knight Pier (White Street Pier). Live local music, the All-American Picnic, family friendly games, along with a spectacular view of the fireworks, makes the picnic the place for you! Attendees can purchase food, drinks, burgers and hot dogs to benefit the Rotary Club's scholarship funds. Admission and VIP tickets available. Contact: Jessica Cranney 305-773-4016 July 04,  in Islamorada Independence Day Celebration In Islamorada, the village's Independence Day Celebration is to be held from 6 to 10 p.m., at Founders Park at mile market 87 with family fun, food and fireworks. Food and drinks are to be available for purchase. On-site parking is $5 per vehicle. Contact: 305-664-4503 July 04,  in Key Largo Annual July 4 Parade and Picnic Key Largo Chamber of Commerce and the Upper Keys Reporter are to host an annual July 4 parade and picnic from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The old-fashioned community event is to be held at Key Largo Community Park and includes vendors, hotdogs and beverages. Contact: 305-451-1414 July 05,  in Key West Key West Theater/Rams Head Productions presents: Rebirth Brass Band Whether seen on HBO's Treme or at their legendary Tuesday night gig at The Maple Leaf, Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band is a true New Orleans institution. Formed in 1983 by the Frazier brothers, the band has evolved from playing the streets of the French Quarter to playing festivals and stages all over the world. In the wake of the sometimes- stringent competition amongst New Orleans brass bands, Rebirth is the undisputed leader of the pack, and they show no signs of slowing down. Doors open 7 p.m., show starts 8 p.m. July 06 to January 06,  in Key West Islands, Imagination and Instance: Florida Keys Folk Art Exhibit Key West Art & Historical Society celebrates historic and contemporary folk artists of the Florida Keys and the islands' influence on their work. The new exhibit opens Friday, July 6, with a special reception held from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in the Bryan Gallery at the Custom House Museum, 281 Front Street. Discover how folk artists Stanley Papio, Makiki, Mario Sanchez, Jack Baron, Ronny Bailey, Frank Balbontin, Papito Suarez, and others celebrated and expressed their cultural identity through community aesthetics, and view the paintings, sculptures and wood carvings that reveal how the flora and fauna (islands), the originality (imagination), and atmosphere (instance) of the Florida Keys have shaped them artistically. Contact: 305-295-6616 ext 112 July 07,  in Big Pine 34th Annual Underwater Music Festival The nationally-acclaimed submerged songfest is held at Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The marine musical event is set 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and staged by Keys radio station US1 Radio 104.1 FM. The music is broadcast underwater via Lubell Laboratory speakers suspended beneath boats positioned above the reef. Contact: 305-872-2411 Email: executivedirector@lowerkeyschamber.com July 10,  in Key Largo Volunteer Fish Survey Project: Protecting Biodiversity through Citizen Science for 25 Years In 1993, a group of pioneering conservationists took a slate on a dive in Key Largo, and started a program that would become the largest marine life sightings database in the world. Twenty-five years later, REEF's Volunteer Fish Survey Project (VFSP) is a valuable tool for studying the oceans. The project provides insight into the health and biodiversity of our oceans and is a key way that REEF members can make a difference in today's ever-changing marine environment. REEF Co-Founder, Paul Humann, and Director of Special Projects, Lad Akins, will discuss the past, present, and future of the VFSP by sharing a quarter-century's worth of engaging stories and photos. Social at 6:15 p.m., presentation from 7-8 p.m., at REEF Campus, MM 98.3 in the median. REEF Fish & Friends is a free, monthly seminar series that features engaging ocean-themed presentations from guest speakers. Snorkelers, divers, and marine life enthusiasts are invited to join informal discussions and mingle with members of our friendly, ocean-minded community. Complimentary appetizers and refreshments are provided.  Contact: 305-852-0030 Email: events@reef.org July 12 to July 14,  in Key West Mel Fisher Days Come commemorate the anniversary of Mel Fisher's famous 16-year search for the Spanish galleon Atocha and the discovery of the Atocha Mother Load . Annual Dock Party at Schooner Wharf Bar, with tours of salvaging vessels, raffle, silent and live auctions and live entertainment. Proceeds from these events are to benefit Wesley House Family Services, Inc. Contact: 305-296-6533 July 15 to July 18,  in Key West Del Brown Permit Tournament Anglers fly-fish on the flats in a challenge that honors the late angling pioneer Del Brown, who caught and released 513 permit on fly tackle off the Florida Keys in his lifetime. The tournament is based out of Hurricane Hole Marina. Contact: Loren Rea 305-360-6969 Email: lorenrea@icloud.com July 16,  in Key West NEW DATES: Key West Theater presents: Howie Mandell (2 Shows!) Howie Mandel has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years. Mandel is executive producer of many shows through his production company ALEVY PRODUCTIONS, which has produced the series Take It All and Howie Do It for NBC, Deal With It for TBS and Mobbed for FOX, among others. He currently serves as a judge on NBC's hit summer talent competition series, America's Got Talent, now in its 11th season with this being Mandel's seventh season on the series. Shows at 6:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. July 16,  in Key West Retrospectacular's Mid-Month Murder Mystery Mondays Dinner Help solve the mystery! Enjoy a 3-course meal, drinks, live Jazz-age entertainment, costume prizes and more. Interactive mystery theater staged from 6-8:30 p.m., at First Flight Restaurant & Brewery, 301 Whitehead St. Tickets $95 per person. Contact: 305-570-3000 July 17 to July 22,  in Key West Hemingway Days The 38th annual celebration of the legendary author's work and lifestyle features literary readings, the Running of the Bulls, a short story competition, fishing tournament, 5k Run and Paddleboard Race, Sloppy Joe's Look-Alike Contest and a birthday "party" commemorating Ernest's July 21st birthday. Contact: (305) 296-2388 (Look-Alike); 797-0579 (literary) July 18 to July 21,  in Key West Havana Club Key West Marlin Tournament Anglers ply the waters once fished by writer Ernest Hemingway, vying for $50,000 in guaranteed cash prizes. Held in conjunction with Key West's annual Hemingway Days festival, the event awards $25,000 to the first-place team. Teams can enter one fun fish (dolphin, tuna, wahoo or released sailfish) per day to add to their point total. Contact: Tim Greene 305-304-0317 Email: tim.greene@keywestmarlin.com July 19 to July 21,  in Key West Sloppy Joe's 38th annual "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest The look-alike challenge takes place at Sloppy Joe's Bar, 201 Duval St., frequented by Hemingway when he lived and wrote on the subtropical island throughout the 1930s. The contest's preliminary rounds are set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 19 and 20, and the newest "Papa" is to be chosen during a final round beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21. July 19,  in Islamorada Third Thursday Art Walk Third Thursday ArtWalks are held every month throughout the year, offering attendees live music on three stages, performance artists and, of course, original art and hand-crafted jewelry, as well as pottery, sculptures and more! This monthly event has become a focal point of artistic expression, culinary and cultural awareness to the Upper Keys. As the Art District's business partners remain open during these Third Thursday Art Walk evenings, this indoor/outdoor street festival has become the talk of the Keys, drawing multitudes of people from all over South Florida and beyond each month. The crowds stroll through the Art District, which spans a quarter of a mile of the Old Highway between the historical 1935 Hurricane Monument and the iconic Green Turtle Inn and includes the intersecting street now known as Morada Way, between MM 81 and 82. July 21,  in Key West 26th Annual Hemingway 5K Sunset Run/Walk & Paddleboard Race This is the original and oldest ongoing 5K Run in Key West and takes place as part of the the annual Hemingway Days Festival. The race course is a scenic flat course that runs past Key West's most famous landmarks including the Ernest Hemingway Home, the iconic Southernmost Point and the famous Green Parrot Bar. Visit website for more details. Contact: Barb Wright at 305-240-0727 Email: barb@keywestspecialevents.com July 21,  in Islamorada Matecumbe Historical Trust presents "29 Points of Interest" Historic Trolley Tour Enjoy an enlightening trolley ride through time. Guided trolley tours depart at 10 a.m. from the Islamorada Moose Lodge at 81573 Old Highway in Islamorada.The one-hour, colorful and much acclaimed historical tours feature 29 points of interest on the islands of Islamorada. A monitor is located at the front of the trolley showing photos of the past as you see them as they are today. Tickets may be purchased on site or call in advance. Adults are $15, children six and under are free. Contact: Barbara Edgar 305-393-0940 July 21,  in Islamorada Celebrate PADI Women's Diving Day with History of Diving Museum Enjoy a morning casual "Diving Divas" presentation by Dr. Sally Bauer, founder of the History of Diving Museum: What has been the popular image of women in diving? How has it changed? From mythical mermaids and a damsel in distress, to Ama pearl divers and well educated scientific divers. Then, it's an afternoon of fun dives along Florida Keys reefs with Islamorada Dive Center! Space is limited, register today. Contact: 305-664-9737 Email: programs@divingmuseum.org July 26,  in Key Largo FREE Fish Identification Class! Want to improve your fish identification knowledge? Join REEF each month for a free fish identification class in REEF's Interpretive Center, led by REEF volunteers and professional underwater photographers, Carlos and Allison Estape. For this month's class, Carlos and Allison will be covering Gobies found in the Tropical Western Atlantic region. Starts at 7 p.m. at the REEF Campus, MM 98.3 in the median. Contact: 305-852-0030 Email: events@reef.org