Hemingway Festival in Key West

[ATLparrothead]

Anyone ever been to the Hemingway Festival in Key West? Our family is heading down this July and was curious what the atmosphere was like. We are entering our dad in the look-a-like contest, so it should be fun. We have been to Key West several times before and are renting a house this time, even taking the dog! Can't wait!

[carolinagirl]

Anyone ever been to the Hemingway Festival in Key West? Our family is heading down this July and was curious what the atmosphere was like. We are entering our dad in the look-a-like contest, so it should be fun. We have been to Key West several times before and are renting a house this time, even taking the dog! Can't wait!

That's the reason we went to Key West for the first time, back in 1987. It was a blast. We were there again for Hemingway Days in 2003. Both times, there was the Sloppy Joe's Hemingway look-alike contest, and a big fundraising party at the Hemingway House with a Cuban band and great food and drinks. The 2003 Hemingway House party was to benefit the Key West Botanical Gardens, which really needs the help. We toured the gardens then to get a good "before" taste. The plans for fixing it up look great

The Sloppy Joe's contests take all week with semi-finals each night, then a contest on the last night with all the finalists. It's fun to walk on Duval and see all the look-alikes. My biggest problem is that the contest is for Hemingway's look in his final days, not his Key West days, when he was in his 30s. Now, that would be a handsome contest!

In 1987 we stayed at a conch house, the Heron House, right around the corner from Faustos. In 2003, we rented a house in the Cuban quarter... on Havana Lane near the cemetary, and had a blast with our own pool, hot tub, garden, etc. That is the only way to go in Key West. We took our bicycles and got around that way most of time. It would be fun to take our dog... never tried that!

[Godsowndrunk]

We were there for the first time in 1999 for Hemmingway days.actually it was for his 100th birthday!!!....I have to say the whole week was one huge party...it was also the week of the Regatta and the key west street fair....there must have been at least 40,000 people on the island but I did not see a max. capacity sign as we drove in....sooooooooooooooo.....

Its just too bad its in July, when the weather is unbearable.....101 degrees and 100 percent humidity......