Masquerade March

October 27, 2007

Nadene, Kathy, Janine & Gae





Masquerade March







Friday evening of Fantasy Fest is starting to rival the big Parade in my mind as far as sheer enjoyment and excitement. The masquerade march is held beginning at 5 PM near the Key West Cemetery. Two alternate routes are available to the throngs of costumed marchers. Each route winds through town stopping at various guest houses for free libations and they both eventually end up together again when they merge into the street party on Duval Street, which is closed off completely.






This year Kathy & I joined different groups of friends and ended up taking different routes before meeting up some 3 hours later on Duval. I went with a group of mostly women from my water aerobics class at FKCC. Organized by our able instructor Greta, we all managed to meet at the appropriate time dressed in our selected theme of beauty pageant contestants. For the first time ever, I dressed as a woman, “Miss Taken”, donning a bathing suit and assorted accouterments and heading down the street with our group. I figured if Rudy Giuliani can do it, why couldn’t I? Kathy joined her friends, Gae, Janine & Nadene as the Flamingos made a triumphant return to Fantasy Fest. Janine was back in town from her new residence in Madison, Wisconsin.



David Sloan?

Dave





The Masquerade March is so enjoyable because so many locals participate in it. You see so many people and it has such a great feeling of community, that you can’t help but to have a good time. It’s also markedly less raunchy than much of what happens on Duval Street and is (for the most part) still family friendly. I could not believe how popular that dressing like a woman would be, I doubt that I have ever been photographed more often during Fantasy Fest.

Andy & Michael



Allison, Kirsten & Kathy

Kathy & Bonnie

The march finishes on Duval with participants simply melding into that large crowd that is already present for the street fair and the partying lasts well into the night. Many of the bars have huge bashes that spill out into the street. Popular Friday night parties included the Pimp n Ho party at Red Fish, Blue Fish ( hosted by..eh hem, “film star” Ron Jeremy) and the Body Painting Contest at the Ocean Key House. We had a great evening, and we even made it home at a semi-reasonable hour. I guess if you start partying at 5 PM, midnight still leaves seven hours of being out.

Andy, Suzy Jo, Michael & Carla

Melissa & Michael



Michael with former and future?? Key West Mayor Jimmy Weekley