2024 Key West Holiday Parade

When: December 7, 2024, 7:00 PM
Where: Truman Avenue to Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040

The Key West Holiday Parade is back, bringing a vibrant mix of tropical charm and festive spirit to the southernmost city in the continental United States. Scheduled for Saturday, December 7, 2024, this much-anticipated event offers a night filled with community pride, stunning holiday displays, and unforgettable entertainment. Whether you're a local or a visitor, this parade is a celebration you won’t want to miss. Let’s dive into what makes the Key West Holiday Parade 2024 such a special event!

What is the Key West Holiday Parade?

Photo by Keys Weekly

 

The Key West Holiday Parade is an annual tradition that captures the unique personality of this lively island. Combining festive holiday themes with Key West’s relaxed and inclusive vibe, the parade highlights the creativity and community spirit that make this event one-of-a-kind. From dazzling floats to enthusiastic performers, the parade showcases the very best of the island's cultural fabric.

Details to Know Before You Go

Date and Time

The parade kicks off on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at exactly 7:00 PM. Arrive early to grab the best viewing spot and enjoy the pre-parade buzz as spectators line the streets.

Location and Route

The parade begins at the corner of Truman Avenue and White Street, right next to Bayview Park. It follows a scenic route down Duval Street, the heart of Key West's entertainment district, providing ample opportunities for viewing along the way. The vibrant decorations and enthusiastic crowds transform the streets into a winter wonderland in paradise.

Key Highlights of the Event

1. Festive Floats and Marching Bands

Expect a procession of meticulously decorated floats, each designed to spread holiday cheer. Many of these floats are created by local organizations, schools, and businesses, adding a personal touch to the spectacle. Accompanying the floats are talented marching bands, energizing the crowd with their festive tunes.

2. Unique Island Flair

What sets the Key West Holiday Parade apart from others is its tropical twist. Picture holiday floats adorned with palm fronds, Santa Claus donning sunglasses, and performers embodying the island’s laid-back spirit. It’s a blend of traditional holiday elements with the vibrant essence of Key West.

3. Community Participation

The event is a showcase of local pride and creativity, with schools, community groups, and businesses contributing their talents. This sense of community makes the parade feel like a giant block party, inviting everyone to join in the celebration.

Why You Should Attend the Key West Holiday Parade

1. Fun for All Ages
Whether you're a child thrilled to see Santa Claus or an adult soaking in the festive atmosphere, there’s something for everyone at this parade. Families, friends, and solo travelers alike will find joy in the event’s inclusive and cheerful vibe.

2. Perfect Photo Opportunities
The parade is a feast for the eyes, with its colorful floats, twinkling lights, and lively performers. Bring your camera or smartphone to capture unforgettable moments to share with friends and family—or on your Instagram!

3. Kickoff to the Holiday Season
The parade marks the official start of the holiday season in Key West. It’s a chance to celebrate the spirit of giving, unity, and cheer in one of the most picturesque settings in Florida.

Tips for Enjoying the Parade

1. Arrive Early

With crowds expected to gather well before the 7 PM start, plan to arrive early. Stake out a prime viewing spot along Duval Street, and bring a chair or blanket for comfort.

2. Dress for the Weather

Even though it’s December, Key West boasts warm, tropical weather. Dress in light, breathable clothing, but consider bringing a festive sweater for that holiday vibe.

3. Bring Snacks and Drinks

While there are plenty of dining options nearby, having a few snacks and drinks on hand can keep you refreshed while waiting for the parade to start.

Other Activities to Enjoy in Key West During the Holidays

1. Visit the Historic Seaport

After the parade, head to the Key West Historic Seaport for its annual light display. The beautifully illuminated boats offer a magical view of the harbor.

2. Explore Holiday-Themed Events

From tree lighting ceremonies to holiday markets, Key West offers a variety of seasonal activities to complement the parade.

3. Enjoy Duval Street’s Nightlife

After the parade winds down, immerse yourself in the lively nightlife of Duval Street, where bars and restaurants come alive with holiday-themed specials.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is the parade free to attend?

Yes, the Key West Holiday Parade is a free event, open to the public.

2. Can I participate in the parade?

Absolutely! Local groups, schools, and businesses are encouraged to participate. Check with the event organizers for registration details.

3. Are pets allowed at the parade?

While the parade is pet-friendly, be mindful of the crowds and noise, which might not be suitable for all animals.

4. What’s the best way to get to the parade route?

If you're staying in Key West, walking or biking is ideal. If you're coming from out of town, consider using public transportation or rideshares.

5. Are there any after-parade events?

Yes! Many local bars and restaurants host holiday-themed parties, offering a chance to keep the festive spirit alive.

Conclusion

The Key West Holiday Parade 2024 promises a magical evening of community, creativity, and cheer in one of the most scenic settings in Florida. Whether it’s your first time attending or a beloved annual tradition, this event captures the essence of the holiday spirit with a tropical twist. Be sure to arrive early, bring your holiday cheer, and get ready to make lasting memories in the heart of Key West.

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Key West Real Estate For Sale | 603 Angela Street, Key West

SAY HELLO to Casa Maribel! A picture-perfect home in the exclusive Gardens of Key West community of the Historic District, this bright and elegant haven offers the best in leisurely living! Located on Solares Hill just one block away from World Famous Duval Street, the island’s best restaurants, and attractions, this residence has the perfect combination of tranquil resort-like living while having the best of Key West amenities at your fingertips. Greeted by a lovely lush garden, step inside to find a user friendly floor plan with an open living space with sliding glass doors flowing out to the partially covered patio and heated pool. Upstairs includes cathedral ceilings, a large primary bedroom and en suite bathroom, plus the guest bedroom and bathroom, and laundry closet. This is a wonderful tropical residence in Prime Old Town, Key West that includes a driveway for one off-street parking spot, an X-Flood Zone location, and island living! Listed exclusively by TEAMKAUFELT of TRUMAN & COMPANY REAL ESTATE in Key West, FL.

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Follow the Leaders in Key West real estate, Team Kaufelt of Truman & Co. Over 52 Million sold in 2019 and over a 1/4 Billion sold in our career. By working with our team, we will provide local expertise, real estate knowledge, creativity, and greater responsiveness as our entire team is available to you 24/7.

Allegiant announces new flights to Key West from CVG as low as $59

Key West, FL. 33040 – A low cost carrier at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport just announced new flights to Key West International Airport (EYW).

With the launch of the new service, Allegiant Airlines is offering one-way fares on the new route as low as $59.

The twice-weekly flights to Key West International Airport will begin June 9, 2021.

Flight days, times and the lowest fares can be found only at Allegiant.com.

“This low-cost direct flight to Key West is the only one in our region,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “Key West’s tagline is ‘Close to Perfect, Far from Normal’ and we’ve been living in far from normal times. I hope travelers will take advantage of this flight to such a unique and fun destination as well as Allegiant’s 20 other destinations from CVG. We are grateful for our partnership with Allegiant.”

View more Key West news and real estate information at:

THE KAUFELT REPORT

2021 Monroe County Annual Report Now Available Online

Monroe County, FL. | The 2021 State of the County Annual Report and Information Guide is now available online at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/stateofthecounty

The annual report highlights Monroe County’s accomplishments in 2020 and the County’s goals for 2021. It features information about the Board of County Commissioners, the County’s administration and 24 departments, ways to stay connected with Monroe County, budget information, hurricane preparedness, the 2020 response to COVID-19, and more. The guide also includes contact information for the five Constitutional Offices and a variety of government agencies, utilities, and schools in Monroe County. Bookmark the guide to be kept as a reference all year. It is filled with information about the entire County to help citizens and business owners better navigate all the government agencies and other entities that serve them.

In addition, Monroe County Mayor Michelle Coldiron and County Administrator Roman Gastesi are making the annual State of the County addresses for local chambers, rotaries, and other organizations throughout February and March. Check with your local organizations to see if they have one scheduled. The presentation can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/stateofthecounty.

View more articles about the Florida Keys and Key West below:

THE KAUFELT REPORT

A Key West Work of Love, Built by a Builder.

400 Aronovitz Lane + 621 and 623 Whitehead Street, Key West | ‘Key West Work of Love” built by a builder. Completely reimagined from the ground up, this zoned live-work home is like walking into an island paradise. Sophisticated style and a neutral organic palette are juxtaposed with hidden pops of color, pattern, and texture in the 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms and over 3,500SF of living space. This well sited 5,868SF Corner Lot is a triplex, comprised of a main home including 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms plus an attached Historic Duplex, each unit containing 1 bedroom/1 bathroom. Tropical landscaping and mahogany doors have been elevated in design to welcome you inside this well designed home. Using only the best of materials and high end finishes.

Step inside to the designer lounge featuring 16FT cathedral ceilings with exposed beams, wet bar, granite countertops and a beverage cooler and ice maker. The open concept living and dining areas seamlessly flow to the outdoor living spaces, allowing uninterrupted sight lines through multiple sliding impact door systems. A tropical poolside patio is complete with a Craig Reynolds designed heated pool and water feature, lush landscaping and lighting, and an outdoor shower. There’s a ground floor bedroom and ensuite bathroom with white marble finishes and an enclosed steam shower. The Chef’s Kitchen includes a granite island, custom lighting, plenty of cabinetry, and Sub-Zero and Thermador appliance suite. The upper level is home to the Master Suite with a wall of sliding glass doors opening to the large inviting covered porch. The Suite includes cathedral ceilings and a beautiful bathroom with a frameless shower and dual shower heads. Opposite the Master is the upstairs Guest Bedroom highlighted by a gorgeous bathroom, soaking bathtub, and private covered patio. The Historic Duplex can be entered via a hallway off of the kitchen and each of the units has their own separate entrance. Each unit includes hardwood floors, high ceilings, kitchen, washer/dryer, finished loft space, and beautiful porches surrounded by landscaping for privacy. 621 Whitehead Street is ADA compliant and is a zoned live-work space. Currently the bedroom of this unit is setup as an office and can be locked off from all other living spaces with its own ADA entrance. Endless rental opportunities with this duplex! Ideally located in the X-Flood Zone on a hidden lane just 1 block from Duval Street, dining and shopping, and blocks away from the Truman Waterfront Park and Fort Zachary Taylor National Park. 4 off-street parking spaces make life easy! Schedule your private viewing now.

View the 3D tour, photos, video, and more at:

400 Aronovitz Ln, Key West, FL 33040 | MLS #593498

Exclusively Listed by TeamKaufelt of Truman & Company Real Estate in Key West, FL. 33040

Arts Advocate and Patron Lynn Kaufelt Presented with 2021 Golden Mango Award

Three Cheers for Lynn Kaufelt!

We couldn’t be happier to announce Lynn Kaufelt as the receipient of this year’s Golden Mango award! Ever gracious, with the help of her son Jackson, Lynn accepted the award from her home as part of our Patron Brunch on January 6, held this year as a virtual event.

Her ongoing support of The Studios since even before it’s inception makes her tops in our book, but Lynn has also worked tirelessly to support Monroe County arts and service organizations over the years. She’s been involved with Key West Literary Seminar, KWAHS, Wesley House, Take Stock in Children and the Tennessee Williams Fine Art Center, among other organizations.

Presented annually to an outstanding leader who has benefitted Key West through significant contributions to the Arts, the winner receives a striking contemporary sculpture designed by artist Helen Harrison.

Read the full press release here: tskw.org/arts-advocate-and-patron-lynn-kaufelt-presented-with-2021-golden-mango-award/ and find more Key West Lifestyle news at:teamkaufelt.com

The Key West Literary Pantheon

Celebrate the Key West Literary Pantheon

Books & Books @ The Studios of Key West honors Key West’s extraordinary literary legacy with the Key West Literary Pantheon, a frieze wrapping around the store above its bookshelves. The frieze celebrates the names of forty-four distinguished and nationally recognized authors, all of whom have lived and/or worked in our island paradise.

This amazing group includes eleven Pulitzer Prize winners (some multiple times), six National Book Award winners, and three winners of the prestigious Bollingen Poetry Prize.  These literary artists have drawn sustenance from the Key West muse which in some subtle way drew out creativity in a manner that an intellectual hot-bed like New York could not.

As James Leo Herlihy, author of Midnight Cowboy put it “The town excited …. I spent all my time exploring, walking the streets. The place was mysterious, funky, indescribably exotic. It had much of the charm of a foreign country, but you had the post office and the A&P and the phone worked, so life was easy.” John Dewey, perhaps the leading philosopher of the last century, confirmed “the mañana mood develops very easily here,” but it made words flow. William Gaddis heard it was a lazy retreat popular with artists and writers. Looking for a quiet place to finish the novel he was working on, he found the perfect shady porch to set up his rickety Olympia typewriter, completing the novel J R, a winner of the National Book Award for Fiction.

Perhaps the best explanation comes from David Kaufelt, founder of the Key West Literary Seminar: “I have a theory why we all live here.  It’s called the Peter Pan theory. Freud said that we are at our most creative when we are in our very early youth, before we’re five years old. That’s where we are here. We wear shorts, we ride bicycles, we have the water, a great symbol of the unconscious, and we’re free to be children here and let our spirits go. There’s nobody in suits and ties telling us what we have to do.”

Although our Pantheon is limited to deceased writers, there is no doubt that the Key West magic continues to this day. Among our current residents are many of equal stature: Pulitzer Prize
winners including Annie Dillard and Alison Lurie, National Book Award nominee Phyllis Rose, many members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters — including Anne Beattie, Joy Williams and Edmund White, the inestimable Laurent de Brunhoff, and Library of Congress Living Legend Judy Blume.

Key West Real Estate Now

Team Kaufelt is open and ready to assist. We are fully committed to protecting the health and safety of our clients and vendors while continuing to provide essential real estate services to Key West and the Florida Keys.

Click here to see Team Kaufelt's contactless operations and safety standards.

"Because Team Kaufelt has a notary, they kindly delivered the closing papers to sign. Many, many thanks to Team Kaufelt for their steady and reliable partnership as our realtors."

To schedule a Key West real estate showing via Zoom send us a message here: https://www.teamkaufelt.com/buying-a-home/

7 Zoom Pro Tips

Florida Realtors is the largest real estate trade organization in the State of Florida and has compiled a list of 7 tips to help you master the art of virtual meetings in the age of the coronavirus pandemic. ZOOM and other technology platforms like Virtual Tours are proving invaluable to buyers and sellers during this time of social distancing and are poised to play a major role in real estate transactions moving forward.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Z_UqmhZsq/?igshid=16zxcw8m4tfq3

“Zoom is super natural and easy to use – just download it, click, and you’re in. I use Zoom on an airplane, in the car, in my house, in the office – everywhere.”

Jelena Joffe at AB in Bev

Share your own tips and best practices in the comments section.

To schedule a Key West real estate showing via Zoom send us a message here: https://www.teamkaufelt.com/buying-a-home/

ABOUT US

TEAMKAUFELT is proud to be recognized as the #1 active real estate team in Key West per the MLS for 2022 and 2023. In a year marked by extraordinary shifts in the marketplace we worked together to provide local expertise, real estate knowledge, and unmatched responsiveness.

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GET IN TOUCH

Lynn Kaufelt | 305.923.4276
Jackson Kaufelt | 305.393.1267
Ted Stewart | 305.399.0330

teamk@trumanandcompany.com
www.teamkaufelt.com
1205 Truman Avenue | Key West, FL 33040

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