Venue
Old Town, Key West, Florida, United States
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Fantasy Fest, Key West guide
Costumes and body paint on Duval Street.
In short
Fantasy Fest is Key West's adult-leaning costume carnival, ten days across the two weekends nearest Halloween, ending with a night parade on the last Saturday. The 2026 festival ran 16 to 25 October, and 2027 is listed for 22 to 31 October. Expect themed parties and crowded streets, and book rooms early.
Fantasy Fest is Key West's ten-day costume carnival, timed for the two weekends nearest Halloween. Duval Street fills with body paint, feathered headpieces and themed parties, and the festival closes with a night parade of floats that rolls the length of the island's main street, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic.
It began in 1979 as a business decision. Four local business owners, Bill Conkle, Tony Falcone, Joe Liszka and Frank Romano, were tired of empty Octobers and wanted to coax visitors and winter residents down early by combining Halloween with the island's love of dressing up.
It worked. Today the programme runs to more than 60 parties, marches, street fairs and balls, and as many as 75,000 revellers arrive each year, many of them returning with a new costume built around the latest theme.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Sunday, 31 October 2027
Where: Key West, United States
Venue: Duval Street
Held: Every year
Type of event: Party Events, Carnivals, Parade
Currency: US dollar (USD, $)
Time zone: Eastern Time (UTC-5, UTC-4 in summer)
Language: English (Spanish widely spoken)
Map
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Nudity laws and where body painting is allowed
Nudity is illegal on public property and anywhere in public view, festival or not. Body painting is allowed but must be done in enclosed or screened areas out of sight, and pasties are expected under paint. Painted breasts are tolerated only inside the designated Fantasy Zone. Carry a cover-up for the walk to and from your hotel, and remember that lewd acts in public are not tolerated. Police are on duty throughout and ask for patience and courtesy.
Open drinks within the Fantasy Zone
The Fantasy Zone runs along Duval Street from Front Street to Truman Avenue, from 4pm to 4am daily and from noon on the final Friday and Saturday. Open alcohol is allowed inside it and nowhere else. Glass containers are banned within the zone, so ask for plastic.
Leave backpacks, coolers, packages, water guns and any weapon at your hotel. Replicas count too, so a costume prop gun stays behind.
Crossing streets and cycling safely in crowds
Drivers and cyclists struggle to see pedestrians at crowded intersections, especially after dark, so cross carefully. If you rent a bike, ask for a light, ride on the road like a car and give way to pedestrians on sidewalks. The local slogan is to be predictable, attentive and lawful. Pedicabs are a sensible option for short hops in costume, and they spare elaborate outfits a bike saddle.
Dress codes and tickets for private parties
Many of the balls and parties are run by individual venues, and each sets its own dress code. Questions about what is allowed at a particular event go to the venue hosting it. Tickets are sold either by the venues themselves or through KeysTix.com. Buy them before you arrive for the popular balls, and check whether the theme or a costume is required at the door.
What happens on the day
- Opening Friday and Saturday
Goombay in Bahama Village
A free street festival from noon to midnight on both days, with the royal coronation on the Friday evening.
- Midweek
Pet Masquerade
Costumed animals and their owners on stage at Truman Waterfront Park; in 2026 the show was at 6:30pm with registration from 5pm.
- Second Friday, noon
Street Fair opens on Duval
Arts, crafts and food stalls take over the street for the final weekend.
- Second Friday, evening
Masquerade March
In 2026 the marchers stepped off at 5:30pm sharp and finished among the stalls on Duval.
- Final Saturday, 7pm
The parade
Floats and marching groups roll the full length of Duval, Gulf end to Atlantic end. Duval fills from midday, so claim a spot well before dark.
Choosing the opening or closing weekend
Then choose a weekend. The opening one is gentler, with the Goombay street party in Bahama Village and the royal coronation. The closing one carries the Street Fair, the Masquerade March and the parade, and it is the weekend to choose if you can only manage one. If Key West is one stop on a longer trip around the United States, put the Keys at the end so you can sleep it off afterwards.
Costume themes, Goombay and the crowning of the royals
The costume is the point. Each year carries a theme, and in 2026 it was Musical Icons and Iconic Musicals, which sets the tone for floats, marching groups and what people wear to the parties. Serious costumers spend months on headpieces and painted bodies. Casual visitors join in with a mask and some sequins, and nobody minds.
The opening weekend has a different flavour. The Goombay festival takes over the streets of Bahama Village, with its main stage at the corner of Petronia and Emma Street, and costs nothing to attend. Midweek the Pet Masquerade puts costumed animals and their owners on stage at the amphitheatre in Truman Waterfront Park, a gentler evening than anything on Duval.
Behind the parties sits a fundraising contest. Candidates for king and queen of Fantasy Fest campaign for votes that are really donations, and the winners are crowned at the start of the festival. For 30 years the money went to A.H. Monroe and topped $5 million. Since 2023 the campaign has supported the Florida Keys SPCA, and many smaller events raise money for other local nonprofits.
Getting there
Flying in
Key West International Airport (EYW) lies 3.9 miles southeast of downtown, a short taxi ride to Old Town. Many travellers fly into Miami instead.
Driving the Keys
From Miami, US 1 takes about 3 1/2 hours without traffic. The Keys Shuttle runs door to door from the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports, and Greyhound has two departures a day from Miami, around four and a half hours.
By ferry
The Key West Express crosses from Fort Myers Beach or Marco Island in about 3.5 hours.
Parking
RVs and tour buses cannot enter Old Town. The Old Town Garage at 301 Grinnell Street charges $6 an hour or $48 a day for 300 first-come spaces. On parade Saturday the High School lot at 2100 Flagler Avenue runs a $2 shuttle into the festival zone.
Taxis and rideshare
Pick-ups are at or east of Simonton Street, one block from Duval. Free 15-minute drop-off zones sit on the 1000 block of Simonton and at 908 Caroline Street. Bikes, pedicabs and the Key West Rides app cover short hops.
Where to stay during the festival
The organisers advise booking a room seven to ten months ahead. Key West has a finite stock of rooms and the festival weekends claim them early, so sort the room first and the events afterwards.
Aim for Old Town, within walking distance of Duval. If it is full, the Lower Keys are linked by the Lower Keys Shuttle as far as Mile Marker 52.5 for $4, exact change. Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo also have rooms, but they are long drives for a night out. Miami has the widest choice if you are combining the Keys with a city stay.
Miami
Fontainebleau Miami Beach4-star hotel
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from$200.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Swimming pool
- Parking
4 Rooms available
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Weather and what to pack
Late October is warm and still humid in Key West. On the 1991-2020 normals for Key West International Airport, October averages a high of 29.9°C (85.8°F) and a low of 24.9°C (76.8°F), with about 144 mm of rain over 12 days. The sea is around 28°C.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs to the end of November, so keep an eye on forecasts and buy travel insurance before the season starts.
Worth packing
- Your costume, plus a spare mask
- Light, breathable clothes for warm nights
- Comfortable shoes for standing on Duval for hours
- A refillable water bottle
- Sunscreen for the daytime street fair
- A small waterproof pouch for your phone
- Cash for street stalls
Car hire in Key West
Airport transfer to Fantasy Fest, Key West
Met at arrivals at Miami International Airport (MIA) and driven door to door to Duval Street.
- Miami International Airport (MIA) → Duval Street
- 256 km · 4 hr 5 min
Restaurants and food in United States
Places to eat in United States before or after the celebrations.
Joe's Stone Crab
11 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Cuisine:SeafoodAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Bar
Alinea
1723 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
Cuisine:ModernistAmerican
- Dine-in
- Counter seating
Franklin Barbecue
900 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702, United States
Cuisine:Texas barbecueAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Commander's Palace
1403 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130, United States
Cuisine:CreoleNew Orleans
- Dine-in
Katz's Delicatessen
205 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002, United States
Cuisine:Jewish deliAmerican
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
- Counter seating
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Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
The 2026 theme is Musical Icons and Iconic Musicals. Each festival has its own theme, which guides the floats, the marching groups and many costumes.
No. The parade is free to watch from anywhere along Duval Street. Tickets are only needed for private parties and balls run by individual venues.
Marchers gather at the corner of Frances and Petronia Street and walk to the Street Fair on Duval. In 2026 a Paparazzi Row block party at Fleming and White Street warmed things up beforehand.
In Bahama Village, with the main stage at the corner of Petronia and Emma Street. Entry is free on both days of the opening weekend.
Yes. It is free on Google Play and the App Store and covers the schedule, live music and places for late-night food.
In 2026 it was held at the Key West Coffee Butler Amphitheater, 21 Quay Road, with doors at 6pm and the show at 7pm.
Yes. The official website runs live webcams through the festival, so friends who stayed behind can follow the costumes and the crowds on Duval Street.
The official website has a volunteer sign-up form for its festival hub. Volunteering is a good way to see the events from the inside if you are staying in Key West for the whole ten days.
Timing & weather
Just over 1.25 miles, running north to south across the island from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The parade covers the whole of it.
In 2026 the arts and crafts stalls on Duval traded from noon to 10pm, while the food stalls stayed open from noon until 2am.