A Conch Christmas in Key West
December 15, 2019
Celebrate the Season Island Style!
There is certainly no snow on the ground for Christmas in Key West, but you definitely know it’s that most wonderful time of the year. Visitors and locals alike enjoy participating in the unique Conch-style festivities that mark the holiday season in the Southernmost City.
It is impossible to miss the decorative touches and special events popping up all over Key West. The 2019 celebration kicked off at Harbor Walk Plaza on the Key West Bight with the official lighting of the fantastic Harbor Walk of Lights on November 27th and holiday activities will be continuing through New Year’s Eve.
Meet Santa at Mallory Square
Mallory Square puts on the party every single day the sun sets, but the Square really shines around the holidays. Along with all the usual Sunset Celebration players and performers, Santa has been turning up to meet the kids and offer some photo opportunities. There is still time to get in on the fun because rumor has it that the Man in Red will be in the Square on December 21, 22, and 23.
After the sun sets on Mallory Square, continue the celebration by catching the Old Town Trolley at 6:00 p.m. for a 60-minute tour to see the best of Key West’s holiday lights. The venerable Key West Conch Tour Train has also put together an itinerary that includes cider and cookies to get everyone in the mood for caroling on an hour-long tour of extravagantly decorated buildings and houses.
Enjoy Some Holiday Music
You can find numerous opportunities to listen to traditional holiday music around the city this time of year. Two upcoming attractions include performances by Violins in Motion, a children’s music group, and the Holiday Jazz in the Gardens show at the Gardens Hotel.
Violins in Motion features musicians between the ages of 6 to 18 performing holiday classics on the 21st from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. under the fishing buoy Christmas tree on the Harbor Walk of lights. Along with celebrating the season, this free concert is aimed at raising awareness and gathering donations for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. яндекс
Holiday Jazz in the Gardens is a relaxing evening (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) outdoors among the lush tropical foliage at the historic and beautiful Gardens Hotel on Angela Street. The live music performance is free, with a cash bar and large selection of wines available.
Party Like It’s 2020!
Needless to say, Key West throws out a robust welcome to the New Year. Along with the year’s final Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square, there are celebratory sunset cocktail cruises and many special dining opportunities around town to get the evening started. Later, when the revelry begins, things get so exciting that CNN broadcasts live from the island.
The biggest party is always in front of Sloppy Joe’s, where a huge crowd turns the area into a tropical Times Square as people gather to watch a giant conch shell drop. Another fun one is the Red High Heel Drop featuring drag diva Sushi at the New Orleans House. Or you could go nautical at the Schooner Wharf Bar with midnight cannon blasts ushering a pirate wench down from mast-top on the tall ship America 2.0.
Catch the Charm of Christmas in Key West
Your Key West local real estate pros at Bascom Grooms Real Estate wish you and yours a happy holiday season and, as always, extend an invitation to head south and experience Key West hospitality. There is really something special about savoring the Christmas spirit and ringing in the New Year while dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.
Come feel the warmth and charm of a Key West Christmas as a visitor this year and you might be celebrating next year as an island resident!
