Florida Keys and Key West are ready for the annual Independence Day celebrations. As in the past years, this fourth of July will also see families and friends gather throughout the Keys for beachside barbecues, picnics, parades, on-the-water fun and spectacular fireworks shows. Here is what to expect during the annual Independence Day celebrations in Key West, FL.
Now in its 31st year, Key West's annual July 4 picnic to benefit Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of the Florida Keys takes place at the luxurious Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, located at 1500 Reynolds St. overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The celebration is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. with fireworks starting at 9 p.m. courtesy of the Key West Rotary Club. For information about the VNA/Hospice benefit picnic at the Casa Marina, call 305-320-0667.
An All-American celebration of Florida's official state pie is to be staged in Key West Thursday through Saturday, July 2-4. Scheduled highlights of the Key Lime Festival include a Key lime pie-eating contest, a wacky talent show and samplings of Keys-distilled rum flavored with the tangy lime. Events are held throughout Key West at locations including Sloppy Joe's, the Green Parrot Bar and the Smokin' Tuna Saloon.
The Big Pine & Lower Keys Rotary Club is set to host the annual Independence Day Fireworks Friday, July 3, at the Big Pine Community Park, located at 31009 Atlantis Road. Co-sponsored by the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, activities include live music headlined by Haywire, food and ice-cold beverages accompanied by games and activities for both adults and kids. An expanded fireworks show is set to go off at nightfall or about 9 p.m. Admission is free, but no coolers, pets or personal fireworks will be allowed. Gates open at 5 p.m. and a rain date, if necessary, is scheduled for Sunday, July 5. For information, call 305-872-2411.
The July 4 weekend in the Middle Keys is to be highlighted by the Marathon Super Boat Grand Prix, with events scheduled Friday through Sunday, July 3-5. Race day is Sunday, when powerful high-speed boats are to show their muscle on a course parallel to the Marathon shoreline near the world-famous Seven Mile Bridge. Racing fans can enjoy free admission to view the boats and meet drivers and crews from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, through Sunday at the Race Village dry pits at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport, mile marker (MM) 51 bayside. Wet pits, located at the event's headquarters at the marina docks behind the Hyatt Place Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club, 1996 Overseas Highway, are to be open to the public Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Also in Marathon, families can gather for the beach party and fireworks show, a full day of activities beginning with a patriotic parade at 10:30 a.m. The route goes from Marathon High School on Sombrero Beach Road, MM 50 oceanside, to free-admission Sombrero Beach, where a holiday celebration features food, drink, kids' crafts, music and entertainment. Capping off the day is one of the Keys' largest and longest fireworks displays, scheduled to start just after dark. Hundreds of boaters line up in front of the beach for a preferred view of the festivities. For details, call the Marathon Chamber of Commerce at 305-743-5417.
