Before the Race Boats Hit the Water, Race Week Stops on College Road
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
Early in the week of November 2, the Key West offshore powerboat races have dunker and swim testing on the schedule at 5901 College Road, the College of the Florida Keys, two days before the first race. Testing runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, November 2, and again from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, November 3, according to Race World Offshore's 2026 schedule.
The same mile of road also carries everyone heading into and out of Key West Golf Club. In November it's busier than usual. The college, the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden and the Florida Keys SPCA all have full calendars this month. Meanwhile, the north end of the road, where it meets U.S. 1, is being rebuilt around a new traffic light.
The signal project explains how this month's traffic will move. Keys Weekly opened its September 4 story on it with the sentence "To anyone who spends their days at the golf club, the college or the hospital, this one's for you." The paper described the end of a familiar routine: "No more waiting impatiently to turn left onto U.S. 1."
The Florida Department of Transportation project costs about $1.5 million. It covers the signal itself plus driveway reconstruction, new lighting, resurfacing and fresh pavement markings at College Road North, across U.S. 1 from Beach Weekend Marina. FDOT expects the light to be working "this winter." Work is being done in phases. Temporary lane closures may happen on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and on Sunday through Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. FDOT says access to homes and businesses will be kept open the whole time.
The intersection has had a signal before. A temporary light went up there during the 2020 Cow Key Bridge work, and this one is meant to be permanent. When the project was announced, the Key West Citizen reported advice from Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Adam Linhardt: "It's best to use the traffic light at south College Road, especially during rush hour, when attempting to make a left on U.S. 1." The same article lists what depends on the road, including Key West Golf Club, the Florida Keys SPCA, the Botanical Garden, Lower Keys Medical Center and the College of the Florida Keys.
The race-week swim tests on November 2 and 3 fall within FDOT's weekday window for possible lane closures. The new light isn't finished yet, so the advice to use the south signal for left turns still holds.
Most of race week happens downtown. Here's how the 2026 schedule from Race World Offshore plays out:
The organizer has listed different start times for individual races on different pages, so check the posted schedule on race morning before planning around a specific class.
Over on Shrimp Road, on the other side of U.S. 1, The Perry Hotel & Marina is running race-viewing trips on all three race days, November 4, 6 and 8. Boats leave The Perry Marina and stay out from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch, snacks and drinks are included, and spots are booked through the hotel, according to The Perry's announcement.
The marina at 7005 Shrimp Road has 288 wet slips and a fuel dock, according to Integra Marinas. After a day on the water, the closest place to eat is at the marina. Matt's Stock Island Kitchen & Bar serves dinner daily from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., with happy hour from 5:30 to 7. Anyone with a valid Monroe County ID gets 20% off dinner and 15% off drinks. The same local discount applies at the dockside Salty Oyster. It's open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., weather permitting, with happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. and live music Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 7 p.m. On Sundays and Mondays during football season, the game is on at Salty Oyster.
After race week, College Road stays busy all month. Almost every event below is on the road itself, so getting to it doesn't involve a left turn onto U.S. 1.
The College of the Florida Keys has two public events in the first week of November. CFK Poetics presents poet Traci Brimhall on Wednesday, November 4, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Williams Theatre. Admission is free and the community is invited. That's the evening of the first race day, so a day on the water can end with a reading. On Saturday, November 7, the college holds Community Day at its Key West campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with academic showcases, student clubs, local organizations, live performances, arts and crafts, vendors, children's activities, music, food and drinks.
The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden at 5210 College Road has two events on Saturday, November 21. The Native Plant Nursery sale runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with Master Gardeners on hand to answer questions. Members get 15% off, and proceeds support the garden's conservation work. That evening, from 5 to 9 p.m., the garden holds its Pirates & Mermaids Rum Chase, with drinks, clues, costumes and pirate-themed activities. Through November 30, Scarecrows and Skeletons fills the grounds with entries built from natural, recycled and repurposed materials. General admission is $15. Yoga in the garden meets Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 to 11:15 a.m. for $20 a drop-in class, with no class on Thanksgiving Day.
The Florida Keys SPCA's Key West campus at 5711 College Road runs Thanksgiving Week Critter Camp from 9 a.m. on November 23 to 3 p.m. on November 25.
The golf course has also moved into its busy season. Key West Golf Club's winter rates took effect October 1 and run through May 31, 2027. Eighteen holes cost $180, twilight play after 1 p.m. is $145, and super twilight after 4 p.m. is $120. The club says resident rates are available by calling the Pro Shop.
The waterfront off Shrimp Road has more coming after race week. Tropic Ocean Airways starts nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Key West on November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. Flights run Thursday through Sunday, go from private terminal to private terminal, and start at $199 one way. The airline also plans private charter flights that land on the water at Perry Marina, with passengers brought to the dock by boat until a seaplane dock is built. "We are working on building a seaplane dock at Perry Marina," Patricia Summerfield, the airline's director of sales and partnerships, told the Key West Citizen. The paper reported that the airline is working with Integra Investments on the dock.
On Saturdays, the same marina has a more hands-on option. The Conch Republic Marine Army runs free cleanup trips from The Perry Marina into the Key West backcountry and nearshore mangroves, according to the Florida Keys tourism council's fall update. The group has more than 7,500 volunteers who have pulled over 650,000 pounds of marine debris from Keys waters and shorelines. Volunteers sign up through the group's Perry Marina registration page.
Nearby on Peninsular Avenue, the former Ocean's Edge Resort & Marina at 5950 Peninsular Ave. now operates as Hilton Key West Resort & Marina. Its restaurants are Yellowfin Bar & Kitchen and Oceans Edge Café.
The new signal at College Road North is expected to be working this winter, according to FDOT. Until then, the Sheriff's Office's advice stands: use the south College Road light when turning left onto U.S. 1, especially at rush hour.
Our team at Bascom Grooms Real Estate has followed Stock Island since 1999, from the temporary Cow Key Bridge signal to this permanent one. If you're curious what this winter's changes on College Road mean for homes at Key West Golf Club, we're glad to walk the street with you. Contact Us.
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