Hi everyone! How are you? I'm just fine and dandy. If you didn't know it, Fantasy Fest has arrived in Key West.
The festival kicked off last Friday with Goombay Fest, a nice 2 day street fair celebrating Caribbean heritage. Actually, we love Goombay, and planned on going. I lost track of days (happens all the time to me!) and thought Sunday was really Saturday, thus when we arrived in Bahama Village for Goombay all we found were street sweepers and the regular stuff, since the fair was Fri/Sat. NOT Sunday when I arrived (thinking it was Saturday). Of course in the Keys, if you want to be happy, you go with the flow, make lemonade out of lemons so to speak. As long as we were in Bahama Village, we stopped in a few of the shops, then popped into Blue Heaven's bar (an extra "thank you" to our bartender Jen for the great conversation, and as well as an extra "thank you" to Chef Dave for bringing us a taste of his fabulous VEGAN home made nut cheese, seriously, that was fantastic!)
While in Key West, we also stopped to see a friend, who happened to mention he was riding in that evening's "Zombie Bike Ride" through town. He invited us to participate, we had to decline because of dinner plans. But... on the way out of the city, we were treated to the sight of hundreds of bike riding zombies. The event was sponsored by Re-Cycle Bicycles on Stock Island. All the cyclists dressed up like zombies, we saw bride & groom zombies, princess zombies, and so much more. I swear, I love it here in the Keys.
But, I'm getting off track. Sorry....
This year's Fantasy Fest theme is "Aquatic A-Frolic." You don't have to stay in theme, but its a nice idea, don't you think? We're going to the parade this year. Not IN the parade, but as spectators. We received a really nice invitation to watch the parade from a spot upstairs on Duval Street, prime viewing. I simply wouldn't turn this amazing invitation down. And, I feel obligated to dress up, initially much to the dismay of the other happy vegan. But.... I began thinking.... and thinking.... and thinking.
Mr. Happy Vegan is dressing up as Capt. Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd. I am dressing up as a poacher. I've illegally poached whales and then been arrested by Capt. Watson! This keeps in theme of the whole event, pays homage to Sea Shepherd, and spreads our own message of conversation, preservation, and compassion to animals. Now Mr. Happy Vegan is delighted to be dressing up, considering he gets to pay tribute to a true environmental warrior.
I happened to be in Marathon late this morning, so I stopped at West Marine. Its so awesome that I live in a place like the Keys where I shop for my Halloween costume at a boat store! I popped in for a captain's hat for the Mr. and a jumpsuit for my costume. As I was paying, I began chatting with the gal at the register. We began talking about the pet parade in Key West tomorrow (another of the daily festival events) and she said she was going to enter with her dog, but needed some Mardi Gras beads (here, they are just "beads"). I laughed, and pulled out several strands of beads from my handbag and handed them over. She laughed as she said THANK YOU!!! and we both just laughed really hard because where else but here in the beautiful Florida Keys would someone just happen to have beads in their handbag, and be able to share them with a stranger. Nowhere... which is why this really is paradise. And, besides, none of us are really strangers here in Paradise. Strange maybe... but not strangers.
So, everyday there's some fun things planned for Fantasy Fest in Key West, and we're making a point to get down there a few times to have some fun and participate. We don't do this every year, work gets in the way. But, we decided "work be darned, we're having fun!" and so we are.
Shopping at the boat store for costumes, beads in handbags for dogs, Sea Shepherd tribute, and fun in Bahama Village. Fantasy Fest has only just begun, and look at all the fun! Hope you'll join the party (parties!!!) See you there, for sure!
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