2010 Florida Keys Holiday Events
2011 Christmas in the Florida Keys »
Florida Keys – Perhaps because the southernmost islands in the continental United States have never experienced a snowy white Christmas, businesses and organizations in the subtropical Florida Keys are extraordinarily enthusiastic about showing their holiday spirit. From Key Largo to Key West, the calendar is packed with events designed to spread holiday cheer — including festive lighted boat parades featuring vessels whose decorations range from traditional greenery to offbeat salutes to the season.
Events Spice Up Christmas in the Florida Keys
Listed here are some holiday highlights, all spiced with a characteristically Florida Keys flair.
Holiday Photos with Santini (or another dolphin) at Dolphin Research Center in Marathon
Now Through Wednesday, Dec. 22 – At Dolphin Research Center, mile marker (MM) 59 bayside on Grassy Key, visitors who participate in the Meet the Dolphin program also can pose with the dolphins for a holiday photo. Visitors can select props such as Santa hats, reindeer antlers, and holiday wreaths to use while posing, and DRC’s experienced photographers will shoot the pictures using high-resolution digital cameras. Meet the Dolphin gives guests an opportunity to go onto the facility’s floating dock to give backrubs and share a “flippershake” with a dolphin. The program is offered several times each day on a walk-in basis and costs $25 per person in addition to general admission prices. The photos can be supplied on CD for $30, or as prints. Print prices vary depending on the number ordered. Contact: 305-289-1121 or View website ».
Harbor Walk of Lights in Key West
Wednesday, Nov. 24, throughout the holiday season – The harbor walk along the Historic Seaport at Key West Bight, stretching from Greene Street to Grinnell Street, is to be festively dressed for the holiday season. Celebrate with Key West Bight holiday events, shop at unique island shops and galleries, and relax at waterfront restaurants and watering holes. Part of the Key West “Bight Before Christmas” holiday celebration, the festivities are presented by the Key West Bight Preservation Association.
“The Messiah” Key West
Sunday, Nov. 28, 8 p.m. – As many as 90 singers from around the Florida Keys participate in the annual performance of George Frideric Handel’s holiday masterpiece. Directed by Dean Walters, the 28th annual production is to be staged at Key West United Methodist Church at the corner of Eaton and Simonton streets, and admission is free. Contact: 305-745-1409.
Keys Chorale 2010 Holiday Concert in Key West
Friday, Dec. 3, 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m. – The Keys Chorale at Florida Keys Community College, under the direction of Dean Walters, presents its 21st annual holiday concert featuring seasonal favorites from around the world. Highlights include a featured selection of “Christmas in the Southwest” by Conrad Susa and an intriguing accompaniment of harp, marimba and guitar. Tickets for Friday night are $30 for reserved seating and $20 for general admission. Saturday matinee tickets are $20 (general admission only). All shows are staged at the Tennessee Williams Theatre, 5901 College Road. Contact: 305-296-1520 or View website ».
Key West Holiday Parade in Key West
Saturday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m. – The island city shows its holiday spirit with this annual hometown parade. Featuring marching groups and motorized and nonmotorized floats, the festive procession traditionally draws entries from churches, civic organizations, businesses and neighborhood and school groups. Starting at Truman Avenue and White Street, it proceeds down Truman to Duval, where it takes a right and continues on to Eaton Street. Contact: 305-809-3881.
Christmas in Key Largo
Monday through Saturday, Dec. 6-11 – Sponsored by the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, loads of holiday events with live music, decorations, food and drinks are designed to spark the holiday spirit. Activities are to be held throughout Key Largo, offered in concert with the 50th anniversary celebration for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Visit area businesses, attractions and lodgings for special deals all week. Contact: 305-822-1088 or View website ».
Key Largo Christmas Pageant in Key Largo
Friday and Saturday, Dec. 10-11, 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. – A cast and crew of more than 50 people present a powerful musical drama about the real meaning of Christmas. All performances are free and staged at Coral Shores Performing Arts Center, MM 90. Contact: 305-451-1642.
Holiday Historic Lighted Inn Tours in Key West
Friday and Saturday, Dec. 10-11, 5:30-8:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, Dec. 17-18, 5:30-8:30 p.m. – Discover the holiday spirit and Key West’s architecture and history by touring five beautifully decorated historic inns each evening. Hosted by the Key West Innkeepers Association, the tours include culinary masterpieces by top island chefs and creative offerings by local artists, writers and performers. For tour cost and ticketing information, Contact: 305-295-1334. or View website ».
Holiday Open House at Crane Point Hammock in Marathon
Friday, Dec. 10, 5-8 p.m. – Swing into the holiday season and joyful spirit of giving at the Crane Point Museum Store at this open house event. Unique educational and history-related gift items, hard-to-find specialties and crafts, accessories, home decor and more are to be available during the event at Crane Point, MM 50.5 bayside. Contact: 305-743-9100 or View website ».
Christmas on the Farm 2010 in Stock Island, Key West
Sunday, Dec. 12, 1-3 p.m. – Kids and adults can visit the furry, fluffy and feathered residents of the Animal Farm and get a photo taken with Santa. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm is situated at the county’s detention center just outside Key West at 5501 College Road. This event is free and open to the public. Contact: Jeanne Selander at 305-293-7331.
Southernmost Christmas Tree Celebration in Key West
Sunday, Dec. 12, 3 p.m. – Holiday revelers enjoy free conch chowder, then board Conch Tour Trains to proceed to the continental United States’ Southernmost Point to set up the southernmost Christmas tree at sunset overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The event is an annual community thank-you party presented by the Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens. The fun starts at 1401 Seminary St. Contact: 305-294-9526.
Key West Bight Before Christmas Holiday Music Festival in Key West
Friday, Dec. 18, 12-8 p.m. – Live holiday music, games for the kids, free cookies and eggnog, holiday cheer and a chance for photos with Santa highlight this event. Created as a gift to the community, the gala is produced by the Key West Bight Preservation Association and tenants of the Key West Bight. The event is to spread across the entire roadway at the Historic Seaport, also called the old Key West Bight. Contact: 305-292-5044 or View website ».
Pops in the Park Holiday Concert in Plantation Key, Islamorada
Saturday, Dec. 18, 4 p.m. – The Keys Community Concert Band is to perform a free holiday concert, titled “Home for the Holidays,” at Founders Park, MM 87 bayside on Plantation Key. Special guest Santa Claus plans to be in the area handing out candy canes and spreading holiday cheer. Performances are outdoors; no chairs are provided. Contact: 305-853-7294.
Holiday House Tours in Key West
Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 28-29, 5-8 p.m. – Presented by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, the annual self-guided tours showcase festively dressed Key West homes and gardens. Proceeds benefit the Old Island Restoration Foundation’s museums, collection and education, grant and scholarship programs. Tickets with maps to the featured homes are $25 per person, available one week before the tours at the Oldest House & Garden, 322 Duval St., TIB Bank at 330 Whitehead St. and 3618 N. Roosevelt Blvd., or during the tour at any featured home. Contact: 305-294-9501 or View website ».
Boat Parades in the Florida Keys
Marathon’s Boot Key Harbor Lighted Christmas Boat Parade
At this favorite Marathon holiday event, dinghies, mega-yachts and vessels in between cruise the harbor in a sparkling procession on Saturday, Dec. 11 at dusk. Best viewing sites include Lazy Days South, Marathon Marina, Sombrero Dockside Lounge and Burdine’s Waterfront. For details, call 305.743.9629 or View website »
Key Largo Boat Parade
Decorations, music and animation are to entertain celebrants during the holiday boat parade on Blackwater Sound on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 pm. The theme is “Under the Sea,” commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. Best viewing and libations are to be found at Sundowners, Señor Frijoles, the Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort and the Caribbean Club, all near mile markers (MM) 103-104. For information, call 305.451.4502 or View website »
Schooner Wharf Bar – Cruzan Rums Lighted Boat Parade
Lighted and decorated vessels from rowboats to tall ships proceed around the Historic Seaport and harbor areas of Key West on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 pm. Before the boat parade, at 6 pm, the Gerald Adams Elementary School Steel Your Heart Band will welcome spectators with songs of the season. Holiday revelers can watch and applaud from bars, restaurants and resorts in and around the Historic Seaport. For details, call 305.292.3302 or View website »
Key Colony Beach Lighted Boat Parade
Christmas lights on outriggers and displays on boat decks are part of the beautiful festivities during the Key Colony Beach Boat Parade, set to begin at the 7th Street canal on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 6 pm. Open to all boats, the parade visits canals and cuts, and passes city hall three times. Great viewing spots include Sadowski Causeway at MM 53.5 and the area behind city hall. The Florida Keys event is open to the public. For information, call 305.743.7214.
Lower Keys Lighted Boat Parade
All boats are welcome to enter the parade including deep-sea cruisers, dinghies, kayaks and canoes. Santa and Mrs. Claus are expected to arrive and hand out candy to the kids. The best recommended viewing is from Pine Channel Causeway or Parrotdise Waterfront Bar & Grille, 183 Barry Ave. on Little Torch Key, Saturday, Dec. 18 at 7 pm. For details, call Holly at 305.872.0106.
‘Nutcracker Key West’ Recasts Classic Ballet as Island Fantasy
A classic holiday ballet, recast to showcase Key West’s tropical atmosphere, coral reef environment and seafaring heritage, is set for a six-show run in the island city beginning Friday, Dec. 17.
“Nutcracker Key West” is the creation of Key West resident Joyce Stahl, a classically trained dancer who performed “The Nutcracker” and other ballets with New Jersey’s American Repertory Ballet for 38 years.
Stahl’s production transforms the timeless story of young Clara’s visit to the land of the Sugarplum Fairy into an island fantasy featuring dancing snowy egrets, phosphorescent sea anemones, shimmering reef fish and even a conch shell, the symbol of the Florida Keys.
“Nutcracker Key West” stars a professional corps de ballet along with Keys children and other local performers. The production incorporates expertly crafted sets and costumes designed by Stahl that are valued at more than $500,000.
Standout sequences include a dream battle where toy sailors protect Clara from the Rooster King, and a coral reef scene where Clara and her nutcracker-come-to-life are entertained by a dance troupe of children costumed as tumbling shrimp and colorful fish. The storyline also includes imagery drawn from the history of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, shipwrecked off Key West in 1622.
Performances of “Nutcracker Key West” are to be staged at the Tennessee Williams Theatre, 5901 College Road on the campus of Florida Keys Community College.
The show is to open Friday, Dec. 17, with a 7:30 p.m. curtain and a supper reception for holders of VIP tickets to follow. Subsequent performances are set for 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 18, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 19 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22.
Ticket prices begin at $20 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at www.keystix.com or by calling 305-295-7676.
Holiday Festival Scheduled Dec. 3 in Islamorada
Despite projected air temperatures in the low 70s, snowflakes are scheduled to fall at the annual Florida Keys Holiday Festival set for 4-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, at Founders Park in Islamorada, mile marker 87 bayside.
The festival centerpiece is to be a children’s area featuring a 20-ton mountain of artificial snow.
Other event highlights include the Santa Paws Pet Parade, with prizes for best-dressed “party animals” or those that perform the best trick. All domestic animals are welcome to enter for free.
Fur is to give way to a fir as a 35-foot-tall community holiday tree is lighted at 6 p.m. while carolers sing.
Vendors plan to offer arts and crafts in a holiday bazaar and gourmet foods and extraordinary wines in a “Vino Village,” a traditional festival favorite. Nearly 40 artists are expected to donate handcrafted ornaments that will be on display, juried and sold by silent auction.
Themed “Holiday Blessings Under the Sea,” the annual holiday parade is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and typically includes decorated floats and antique cars, with a showstopper Santa.
The event is organized by the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce and admission is free, but parking donations are collected to help defray artificial snow expenses.
Welcome the Holiday Season with ‘Art & Music in a Natural Key’
Santa might wear shorts in the subtropical Lower Florida Keys, and palm trees might outnumber Christmas trees, but the holiday spirit flourishes amid the area’s balmy breezes and warm temperatures.
Visitors and Keys residents are invited to welcome the festive season and celebrate the creative arts at the Big Pine & Lower Keys Island Art Festival, themed “Art & Music in a Natural Key.” The event is to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, on the grounds of the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, mile marker 31 oceanside in Big Pine.
Scheduled highlights include live music, exhibits and booths featuring handcrafted pieces by local artists and artisans.
A seasonal tradition in the Lower Keys, the family-friendly event offers attendees an opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind holiday gifts and artwork while enjoying the region’s tranquil natural atmosphere. Items are to be raffled every hour throughout the day, providing additional opportunities for attendees to obtain examples of Keys artistry.
Favorite local entertainers are scheduled to perform live music, and browsers can enjoy food and beverages offered by on-site vendors.
Admission and parking are free. Picnic baskets and coolers are not allowed.
Lighted Inn Tours Highlight Holiday Calendar in Key West
Despite being located on Florida’s subtropical southernmost island, inns in Key West are decorated for the holidays as enthusiastically as though they were Santa’s own hostelries. Visitors can discover the holiday spirit, and Key West’s 19th-century architecture and heritage, in a series of lighted inn tours set for 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 17-18.
Presented by the Key West Innkeepers Association, the tours feature five beautifully decorated island inns each evening. As well as viewing prime examples of Key West architecture and style, tour participants can discover unique sites including the original bedroom of Key West’s famed “Robert the Doll.”
The tour is self-guided, so participants can visit the inns in whatever order they choose. At each featured stop, innkeepers will be on hand to share information about the property and its history.
Other attractions include light appetizers prepared by top Key West chefs and vintages from Opici Wine Company.
Tickets are $25 per person per tour and can be purchased at www.keywestinntour.com, in advance at Key West’s Voltaire Books, 330 Simonton St., or during the tour at participating inns. A list of inns is featured on the website.
Florida Keys visitors information: www.fla-keys.com
All dates and times subject to change
Originally Published on November 26th, 2010
