The Kickoff: The King and Queen of FANTASY FEST 2016

Every vote counts.

But only in Key West does that mean going to the polls again and again…and again…where stuffing the ballot box is encouraged and a little HOCUS POTUS will work its magic for a Queen and a King.

While the platforms will stress unity and education, expect a fair amount of political clowning for 8 weeks after the Kick-Off for the 2016 FANTASY FEST King and Queen on Friday, August 26th.

Beginning at 6 p.m. at The Southernmost House, 1400 Duval, the evening’s poolside party renders official who is determined to become 2016 Royalty.

With the Atlantic surf as their soundtrack and a Friday night sky going South Florida violet as their backdrop, reigning 2015 Queen Jodyrae Campbell and King Mark Watson will preside.

“We are so fortunate to have a great cast of characters running again this year”, noted AIDS Help Executive Director Scott Pridgen. “Each has a unique story and persona to tell the public about how HIV/AIDS affected them.”

“As our ambassadors, each Candidates can, in the midst of 50/50 raffles, alter the path of someone’s life: help avoid an HIV diagnosis…initiate conversations about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily medication for those who are HIV-negative but at

high sexual risk of contracting HIV…or remind folks that sex with a condom, provided free by AIDS Help, protects against a variety of ugly STIs (sexually-transmitted infections).”

What follows Kickoff is a frenzied, frisky, feisty and always fabulous series of fundraising events Keys-wide, all innovated by the Candidates and the corps of volunteers they’ve assembled, to raise the most money and ascend to the Coronation throne as presented by the Casa Marina, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, on Friday, October  21st.

Those events, always subject to change due to weather and venue, will be accessible at www.AHMonroe.org, in ‘The Citizen,’ individual websites, YouTube and via various social media outlets.

“We expect a lot of tweeting and texting…apps and e-mail blasts…radio and TV appearances…the methods Candidates can use to communicate their individual messages is fairly limitless in 2016,” Pridgen said.

Special events of benefit to all those competing range from a weekly ‘Aqua Idol’ competition at Aqua nightclub, 711 Duval, commencing August 30th, to the much-loved Sunday BINGO upstairs at the 801 Bourbon Bar, hosted by QMitch, which equally rewards all Candidates starting August 28th.

But first comes the Kickoff song-and-dance. From a lottery held prior, home-grown entertainment will be provided, with DJ services provided by Soundwave and Jimmy Cooper. Admission is free, but come prepared to stroll tents of Candidate-oriented swag for sale that brand their campaigns with logos and catchphrases.

The Kick-Off For King and Queen of Fantasy Fest 2016, Friday August 26th, beginning at 6 p.m., at The Southernmost House, 1400 Duval.

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