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Back to the 90s at the Key West Fantasy Fest
The Key West Fantasy Fest Parade is back this month.
Spectators can expect typically flamboyant festivities, with ’90s nostalgic flashbacks on Saturday, October 26.
It will have a ‘haunting’ presence with a Florida Keys paranormal expert David Sloan leading the procession.
The parade is the highlight of the October 18-27 Fantasy Fest costuming and masking celebration, which has the theme ‘It’s a 90s Neon Cosmic Carnival.’
With a route through Key West’s historic downtown, the parade typically includes several dozen decorated and motorized floats – many towering high above the watching crowds and featuring music, lighting effects and oversized moving elements.
Accompanying them are island-style bands, marching groups and dancers in elaborate sequined and feathered costumes.
The spirit of “Robert the Doll,” a 3-feet-tall sailor doll with a century-long spooky history is to lead the parade.
Once the companion of a Key West artist, the actual doll resides in a glass case at Fort East Martello Museum.
Also an author and founder of the ‘Robert the Doll Experience’ tour, Sloan penned the book ‘Robert the Doll’ and is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on this.
Entrants in the 2024 parade are encouraged to draw inspiration from the festival theme, embracing neon-bright elements, creatures from the cosmos and ’90s elements like Y2K hysteria and the era’s movie favorites.
The culmination of Fantasy Fest’s 10-day revelry, the parade begin at 7 p.m. at Southard and Whitehead streets.
Glittering floats, bands and other participants will travel down Whitehead toward the Gulf of Mexico, turn onto Front Street and then proceed a mile up Duval Street to the Atlantic Ocean.
Spectators can watch the extravaganza – and salute ‘Robert the Doll’ either from designated street-side areas or reservation-only viewing parties at emporiums and historic sites along the route.
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