Fantasy Fest Parade (Part II)

October 30, 2007





Cricket, Kathy & Jen





Fantasy Fest Parade (Part II)



Steve & Rick

The parade lasted a long, long time this year, we did not finish marching till almost 11:30 PM, there seemed to be a lot of stopping and creeping along. Not that it mattered much really because everyone seemed to be having a great time. Well almost everyone, there was one lunatic who leaped over the barricades and tried to attack some members of our group. Who knows why, but thankfully there were two highway patrolmen stationed along the route, who quickly corralled the guy and carted him off in cuffs.









The parade itself is mostly a blur, there are two points during which we stop by design, one is the media area in front of the LaConcha hotel which is light up for photos and for the television cameras to capture the action. The second area is in front of the judging stand just past Truman Street. As cool as our float looked, somehow we must not have made an impression on the judges because for the first time in years, we were shut out of the awards.

Dave, Hutch & Eliza





I am at a loss as to why, perhaps our float theme did not fit into the overall theme very well or maybe there was some bias against the perceived political nature of our float. It was easily one of the 10 best floats and in my opinion, way better than the Grand Prize winner..but it matters not. We had an awesome time and we will be back next year to try and reclaim the top honor.
The post parade street party was as great as ever and afterwards we headed over to La Te Da where members of our group danced late into the evening. Thanks to everyone who worked on the float and made for another fantastic Fantasy Fest.

Fantasy Fest Parade (Part I)

October 30, 2007








Fantasy Fest Parade (Part I)

Suzy Jo, Jodie, Kathy, Carla & Jaqueline

Once again this year, our Fantasy Fest float was a collaborative effort between two groups of creative and inventive friends of ours joining together to create a much larger and hopefully cohesive effort. Rick & Steve, who we have been float building with for years joined Dave & Hutch’s Lazy Dog Adventure group for the second year in a row. We have always been together in the parade order, but having everyone together on the same page is a new concept, one that worked to great effect last year when our Plutonian Float garnered the Grand Prize.

Johnny & Tara

Todd & Celia

This year seemed a little more disjointed, though as a participant it was just as fun, but for Kathy & me at least, we had a little trouble wrapping our heads around our float assignment which was revolved around a huge dinosaur looking oil rig. Girls were dressed as “Texahos” and guys were meant to be Oil Rig workers as part of the larger theme of the fight against Global Warming featuring Environmental superheroes and earth destroying supervillians. We worked till the last minute on Saturday trying to come up with costumes before catching a ride downtown to the Parade marshalling area on the Truman annex waterfront.

Esme

Janine

Craig & Jodie

The float looked great and as our friends began to arrive, it became clear how creative many of them really are. The costumes were great and everyone seemed in good spirits as we awaited the 7 PM start of the parade. Our float was in the final third of the parade, so we waited a bit of extra time before getting going, allowing me to get some good photos and have a few drinks.





The parade itself was as fun as ever, though there did not seem to be quite as many people lining the street, especially on Whitehead Street. Duval Street was as chaotic as ever though and our float seemed to elicit a good reaction from the crowd. Once again we had Zach Seemiller playing live music from atop the float and we again had a live “float cam” broadcasting from atop the derrick.



Craig, Jodie, Michael & Jacqueline

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