Fantasy Fest 2026 for People Who Live Here: The Locals' Events, the Porch Contest, and the Streets That Close
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
Where does Fantasy Fest start if you live here? Not on Duval at the Saturday parade. It starts on your front porch, with an entry form due Monday.
Fantasy Fest runs Oct. 16 to 25 this year, and the theme is "Musical Icons and Iconic Musicals." Most of the coverage you'll see this month centers on the street fair and the Deep Eddy Vodka Fantasy Fest Parade, an island tradition since 1979. Line the full 2026 schedule up against the City of Key West's street closure notices and a second festival shows up. It's spread across ten days and several neighborhoods, and residents and local organizations run much of it. It starts in Bahama Village, rolls out of Fort East Martello, fills the Coffee Butler Amphitheater midweek, and ends at Bayview Park with a children's costume contest.
The Fantasy Façades contest is the one Fantasy Fest event built around homes. KONK Life reported on Oct. 6 that the 2026 contest is open to Key West and Stock Island residents and businesses. Entrants decorate their façades around this year's theme, Halloween, or a mix of the two, and judges score creativity, how well the theme comes through, and the "WOW Factor."
Here's the calendar:
The prize list shows how the contest is weighted.
| Award | Prize |
|---|---|
| Spooktacular Showstopper | $1,000 |
| Home Takes Center Stage | $500 |
| Business Takes Center Stage | $250 |
| The Great Pumpkin | $250 |
| Stagecraft | $200 |
| Monster Mash | $100 |
| In the Spotlight | $100 |
| Encore | $100 |
The home category pays twice as much as the business category: $500 for a house against $250 for a storefront. Judging falls on day four of a ten-day festival, so a façade finished this weekend gets seen by judges, neighbors, and everyone heading to the events below for most of the run.
The first public event of the 2026 festival isn't on Duval. The Bahama Village Goombay Festival fills Petronia Street on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16 and 17. It's free, it's family-friendly, and the main stage sits at Petronia and Emma. The City's event permit went to the Bahama Village Community Coalition, Inc., with setup starting Thursday, Oct. 15.
The official schedule lists Friday's lineup as Hebrew, V-Connection, the Junkanoo Parade, Masterpiece Band, the Coffee Mill Dancers and the Maasai Reggae Ensemble. On Saturday at 6:15 p.m., a Goombay parade leaves Nelson English Park. It follows Catherine Street to Duval, turns left on Duval to Angela, then left on Angela, and finishes on Emma Street.
The published hours don't match. The Fantasy Fest listing says noon to midnight, and the City permit approves noon to 11 p.m. The street limits differ too. The permit covers Petronia between Duval and Fort streets, and the City's closure notice lists Petronia from Duval to Emma closed both days. If you live on or near Petronia, the City resolution grants a noise-ordinance exemption for live amplified music and requires that neighboring property owners and tenants be told the event dates, times and the exemption.
Friday night also brings the Royal Coronation at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater. It's a two-hour stage show that crowns the 2026 king and queen, with performances by the competitors and local celebrities, and proceeds go to the Florida Keys SPCA.
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the festival heads to the opposite end of the island. The Zombie Bike Ride opens its Zombieland staging area at 2 p.m. at Fort East Martello, 3501 S. Roosevelt, and riders roll out at 6 p.m. toward downtown. The ride ends on Duval Street. The City's notice gives the rolling closure route in order: S. Roosevelt, Atlantic Boulevard, Reynolds Street, South Street, then Duval, where the 100, 200 and 300 blocks close for the finish.
Registration is a $10 wristband. The organizer says that money covers street closures, police, portable toilets and other event costs, and the ride materials don't name a charity. You can pick up wristbands at Wecycle on Stock Island during ride week or at Fort East Martello from 2 to 6 p.m. on ride day, according to the ride's website.
From Monday through Thursday, the lineup is mostly put on by Key West institutions:
The Coffee Butler Amphitheater hosts three of these evenings: the coronation, the pet show and the Headdress Ball. Each one has a local beneficiary or a local presenting organization behind it.
The festival's own schedule calls the Captain Morgan Masquerade March "The Locals' Parade," a tradition of "costumes, creativity and community." On Friday, Oct. 23, Paparazzi Row starts at 4 p.m. at Fleming and White, with dance music, local photographers, photo booths and selfie stations. Marchers line up at Frances and Petronia at 5 p.m. and step off at 5:30 p.m. The route winds through Old Town, with selected guest houses along the way offering adult beverage samples, and finishes at the mile-long Fantasy Fest Street Fair on Duval.
The Locals' Parade runs the night before the big parade. It moves on foot through residential Old Town and ends where the tourist half of the festival is heaviest, so the two halves meet on Friday night at the street fair.
The festival moves around the island from day to day, and so do the street closures. Here's what the City has posted for 2026:
| Date | Event | Streets affected |
|---|---|---|
| Fri.–Sat., Oct. 16–17 | Goombay | Petronia from Duval to Emma, both days |
| Sun., Oct. 18, from 6 p.m. | Zombie Bike Ride | Rolling closure from Fort East Martello via S. Roosevelt, Atlantic, Reynolds and South; 100–300 blocks of Duval closed at the finish |
| Mon., Oct. 19, 6–7:30 p.m. | 5K and 1 Mile Walk | 200 block of Duval, setup from 4 p.m., breakdown until 8:30 p.m.; rolling closure along the course |
| Tue., Oct. 20, from 5 p.m. | Tutu Pre Party Parade | Applerouth Lane closed at 5 p.m.; rolling closure from 6 p.m. from Mary Ellen's via Duval, Angela, Duval, Greene and Whitehead to General Horseplay on Caroline |
| Sat., Oct. 24, from 6 p.m. | Fantasy Fest Parade | Duval closed at 6 p.m.; 7 p.m. loop from Truman Waterfront Park/Southard, Whitehead, Front, Duval, United, Whitehead and back to Truman Waterfront |
There's also the Fantasy Zone, on Duval from Front to Truman. It runs daily from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. and opens at noon on the festival's second Friday and Saturday. The official code of conduct bans glass inside the zone and open alcohol outside it, along with backpacks, coolers, packages, water guns and weapons, including replicas. You can find the full set of notices on the City of Key West events calendar, and the official schedule notes that times can change.
On the busiest nights, the festival's transportation page recommends walking, biking, transit or ride-hailing. It asks taxis and rideshares to pick up and drop off on Simonton Street or anywhere east of it. Posted parking includes the Old Town Garage at 301 Grinnell, with about 300 first-come spaces at $6 an hour or $48 a day. Key West Bight has the same rates, Mallory Square is $7 an hour or $48 a day, and Truman Waterfront is $6 an hour, subject to event pricing. No 2026 parade shuttle schedule had been posted when this was written, so check Key West Transit before you count on one for Saturday.
The last full day, Sunday, Oct. 25, centers on Bayview Park. Children's Day runs from noon to 5 p.m., with games, food, rides, entertainment, arts and crafts, and a kids' costume contest. The official closing event that afternoon is "The Fat Lady Sings" Tea Dance at La Te Da on Duval, and the 2027 theme is announced on Oct. 26. The façade winners are announced the next day.
If your porch is going for Home Takes Center Stage this year, or you want to know which Old Town blocks stay quiet during festival week, Sherri Blasingame knows these streets from the Duval Street office and is glad to talk them through with you. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
I am committed to guiding you every step of the way—whether you're buying a home, selling a property, or securing a mortgage. Whatever your needs, I've got you covered.
Sherri Blasingame
336 Duval St Key West, Florida 33040