Key West Fantasy Fest Parade Winners and 2024 Theme Announced

The announced Fantasy Fest theme for 2024 is “It’s a 90s NEON Cosmic Carnivale!”

The Keys creative spirit was displayed in a pageantry of unicorn horns, uniforms, moving stage-craft and incandescent imagination Saturday night, as Key West’s Fantasy Fest parade made its way down Duval Street, celebrating the 2023 theme, “Uniforms and Unicorns- 200 Years of Sailing into Fantasy!

More than 40 entries competed for $20,000 in prizes, and the winners are:

  • $3000 Best in Entertainment: “Capoeira” by Pasión Project.
  • $3000 Best in Costume: “The Blue Angels” by Daniel Bitnar.
  • $2500 Best Interpretation of Theme: “Lady Seraphina, Keeper of the Unicorn Realm” by Erica Rachal.
  • $2000 Best Walking Group: “The Uni-Queen, Unity-Corns and Fairy GayMothers” by Queer Keys.
  • $1500 The Green Parrot’s Best Live Music Award: “Lights Colorz Action!” by Baston Productions & KG Pro Audio.
  • $1000 Best Bicycle Award: “Eco Friendly Unicorn Powered Trike Extravaganza” by Virginia Wark.
  • $1000 Directors Choice Award: “Mile High Club” by The Piners.
  • $1000 Little Engine that Could Award: Happy Anniversary United States Navy Key West” by Stanley Shaw Construction.

The $6000 Bud Light Fantasy Fest Parade Grand Prize for Best Overall, presented this year in part by The Lodging Association of the Florida Keys & Key West, is awarded to the Lower Keys Fluffers with their entry “Conch-tucky Derby.”

The Bud Light Fantasy Fest Parade is traditionally followed with announcement of the following year’s theme, which is selected through a “Call for Themes” contest. This year, Sarah Compton and Jeff Smead, both of Key West, share the creative kudos for 2024s theme, “It’s a 90s NEON Cosmic Carnivale!”

“Key West is electrifyingly colorful and alive with celebration,” said Nadene Grossman Orr, Fantasy Fest Director and President/CEO of We’ve Got the Keys. “We embrace past, present and future – but 1990 is the year the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, so our panel of judges decided that this theme perfectly expresses a spectacularly vivid Carnival inspired celebration of cosmic proportions.”

Fantasy Fest events and happenings wrap up on Sunday with a slate of events, including Children’s Day at Bayview Park from noon to 5:00pm, “The Fat Lady Sings” Tea Dance at La Te Da Hotel, Restaurant, Cabaret and Bars, Fest finale’ pool parties held at Southernmost Beach Resort’s Pineapple Pool and the Marker Key West Harbor Resort, and a Fantasy Fest close-out free concert on Sunset Pier at the Ocean Key Resort & Spa beginning at 5:00pm.

Fantasy Fest 2023 featured more than 100 events citywide and was presented in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and We’ve Got the Keys. Visit http://www.fantasyfest.com for photo galleries of 2023 highlights and advance 2024 festival news and information.

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