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Pets strike a pose on the Key West catwalk
Key West is again injecting some animal magnetism into its famed Fantasy Fest celebration later this month.
It comprises dozens of masquerade contests and themed parties to challenge the creativity of mask and costume designers.
Also taking place during Key West’s Oct. 20-29 Fantasy Fest celebration is a unique and eagerly anticipated Pet Masquerade.
Scheduled for Oct. 25, the family-friendly costume competition is designed for dogs, cats, birds and other domestic animals accompanied by their human companions.
The offbeat event typically draws entries ranging from pet-and-person duos to groups of animals and people staging choreographed performances.
The 2023 Fantasy Fest theme is “Uniforms and Unicorns … 200 Years of Sailing into Fantasy,”
This honors Florida Keys’ bicentennial and the U.S. Navy’s two centuries in Key West.
For more than 25 years, the Pet Masquerade has been produced by QuePasa KW Inc. to benefit the Lower Keys Friends of Animals.
QuePasa’s Nancy D’Amato will emcee the quirky contest with local radio personality “Rude Girl.”
The competition begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater at Key West’s Truman Waterfront Park.
Each year, several dozen people and pets prance across the amphitheater stage as spectators applaud.
Judges traditionally award prizes for the top junior contestants, most exotic attire, best theme adaptation, best pet-owner look-alikes and an overall winner.
Highlights of past years’ masquerades have included a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” ensemble featuring four basset hounds, a lion tamer with a canine ‘lion,’ and an Italian greyhound costumed as late rock star Prince.
General admission for spectators is free.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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