KEY LARGO, Florida Key — According to history and legend, the notorious pirate Black Caesar roved Florida’s coastal waters in the early 19th century. Now, some 200 years later, he is set to “return” during the Key Largo Pirates Fest Oct. 21-24.

The festivities are to kick off Thursday, Oct. 21, with a Captain Morgan Look-Alike Pirate Plunder Party at Snapper’s Restaurant, mile marker (MM) 94.5.

Friday, Oct. 22, a Black Caesar’s Parade is slated to head down U.S. Highway 1. Participants are expected to gather at 5 p.m. at the Pilot House, located on Seagate Boulevard at MM 99.6, and continue along the fabled highway to stage an invasion of the Marina del Mar Resort and Marina, 527 Caribbean Drive at MM 100  — not far from the place where Black Caesar is thought to have maintained a harem and buried treasure worth millions of dollars.

Float judging and a costume contest are to follow, along with a Pirate Bash on the Bay with live music, dancing, grub and grog. Late-night revelers can head to Coconuts Night Club for an after-the-party party starting at 10:30 p.m.

Those eager to come face-to-face with the fearsome pirate — or at least his modern-day stand-in — are likely to do so Saturday, Oct. 23, from noon to 11 p.m. at MM 104 bayside. Caesar and his buccaneer brethren might be spotted haunting the Pirate Bazaar and Thieves’ Market at Sundowners and Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill. Pirate paraphernalia, memorabilia and art are to be among the attractions for attendees.

The pillaging and plundering are to intensify as pirates invade Key Largo at sunset in a professionally choreographed re-enactment of Black Caesar’s return — complete with artillery line, encampments, battles and skits on Blackwater Sound.

Spectators can watch from Sundowners and the Big Chill. Grog, grooves and golden treasure are to abound as the bazaar continues well past the blasts of festive fireworks set for 10 p.m.

Sunday, scallywags can take to the high seas for underwater treasure hunts and an underwater poker tournament. Along with an above-water contest open to the public, the underwater action is part of a By-Land-Or-Sea Pirates’ Poker Run that coincides with the festival.

The festival is to culminate in Sunday’s Buccaneer Bash and Finale at Pontunes Marina, Tiki Bar & Grille, MM 108 bayside, starting at 4 p.m. In kids’ and adults’ costume contests, prizes await the sexiest and scariest pirates, best buccaneer and best wench. Rowdy revelers can expect to find wild-eyed pirates jiving to live music and imbibing the island’s grub and grog before the climactic handing over of the loot.

A complete schedule of events and festival information can be found at www.keylargopiratesfest.com.

For information on area accommodations, call the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at 800-822-1088 or 305-451-4747, or visit the official Florida Keys & Key West website at www.fla-keys.com.

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KEY WEST, Florida Keys — In the early 1800s Key West was settled in part by Bahamian residents who migrated across the water to the new American seaport city. The annual Goombay street festival, a high-energy celebration of the cultural connection between Key West and the Bahamas, is set for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22 and 23.

A family-friendly event now in its 30th year, the lively Goombay Festival is centered on Petronia Street, just off Key West’s famed Duval Street in the heart of historic Bahama Village. Events are to take place from noon to 11 p.m. both days.

Each year the festival attracts thousands of people who view and purchase African and island arts and crafts, savor the flavors of ethnic delicacies and spend two rollicking evenings dancing in the streets. The crowd typically blends national and international visitors and residents who have made attending Goombay a local tradition.

Highlights of Goombay 2010 include a Junkanoo Rush of costumed marchers and nonstop entertainment by popular Bahamian, South Florida and Keys musicians and bands. Acts are to include the Robert Albury Band, Blessed Community Gospel Choir, Thunder from Down Under, Key West Island Junkanoos and the Steel Your Heart Band.

The featured headliner is to be Kenneth “Porgy” Delancy from the Bahamian island of Bimini, performing the festival’s theme song, “It’s Goombay.”

Goombay’s official opening ceremonies are scheduled at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, at the main entertainment stage on Bahama Village’s Emma Street.

Thursday, Oct. 21, a pre-Goombay VIP reception and booth pre-registration are scheduled at the Coral City Elks Lodge, 1107 Whitehead St.

Goombay weekend marks the beginning of Fantasy Fest, Key West’s 10-day masking and costuming gala, scheduled Friday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 31.

For more information about Goombay, visit www.goombay-keywest.org.

For lodging information in Key West, contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-LAST-KEY (800-527-8539) or visit the Keys website at www.fla-keys.com.

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KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Expect Key West’s habitual eccentricity and offbeat flavor to intensify radically during Fantasy Fest 2010, themed “Habitat for Insanity.”

Set for Oct. 22-31, the uninhibited extravaganza entices attendees to abandon real-world cares for a fantasy escape on America’s southernmost island. The annual 10-day festival offers more than 40 masquerade balls, costume contests and celebrations, culminating in a dazzling parade of large-scale floats and costumed marching groups.

Events kick off Friday, Oct. 22, with a Royal Coronation Ball to crown the king and queen of the high-energy “habitat.” Key West’s Caribbean roots are celebrated that same weekend, with Friday and Saturday’s Goombay street party in the historic Bahama Village neighborhood.

Subsequent festival highlights include Tuesday’s “Diagnosis Psychosis” Headdress Ball, featuring “heady” prizes for the best masks, cowls, feathered turbans and other cranium covers. Wednesday brings the quirky Pet Masquerade and Parade, where costumed dogs, cats, exotic birds and other “party animals” strut their stuff on an oceanfront stage.

The lavish Pretenders in Paradise costume competition is staged Thursday, Oct. 28, under the stars beside the Gulf of Mexico. Entrants in glittering costumes, some so large that they loom over awed spectators, dance and dazzle their way through performances featuring lights and music.

Key West’s Duval Street becomes a habitat for high jinks Friday, Oct. 29, during the Fantasy Fest Street Fair, where vendors tempt attendees with feathered masks, colorful costumes, artistry, food and libations. Just before sunset, the Masquerade March parades through Key West’s Old Town, starring costumed characters in outrageous attire.

Other traditional Fantasy Fest standouts include the Monster’s Ball, a rowdy toga party, tea dances, sensual after-dark soirees and exuberant themed costume contests.

The insanity reaches maximum intensity Saturday, Oct. 30, as tens of thousands of spectators gather for the Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade in Key West’s historic downtown. The spectacle typically includes feather-bedecked marching groups, Caribbean bands and elaborately decorated motorized floats — such as a 40-foot mechanical shark, surrounded by dancing sea urchins, that wowed crowds in a past parade.

For more Fantasy Fest information, including an event schedule, visit www.fantasyfest.net or call 305-296-1817. For information about lodging in Key West, contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-LAST-KEY (800-527-8539) or visit www.fla-keys.com.

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FLORIDA KEYS — Bring on the dipping sauce! Starting Friday, Oct.15, stone crab claws, brought fresh to shore from Florida Keys waters, will be steamed, cracked, plated and served dipped in melted butter or a savory mustard sauce.

During the seven-month-long stone crab season, hundreds of thousands of pounds of Florida’s stellar crustacean will make their way from area waters to diners across the nation who hunger for their sweet, tender meat.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, about 40 percent of the state’s annual stone crab harvest of more than 3.1 million pounds comes from Keys waters, making this region Florida’s top supplier of the world-renowned delicacy.

One of the Keys’ most treasured dishes, stone crab claws are succulent and meaty — closer in size to a 2-pound Maine lobster’s claws than a blue crab’s claws.

The mouth-watering claws are typically cooked immediately after being brought to the dock, usually by placing them in salted boiling water for seven to eight minutes. The claws are then stored on ice before being transported to local markets and restaurants.

Running cold water over the cooked claws keeps the meat from sticking to the shell — and Keys locals know the secret to cracking the claws open: throw out those fancy shell crackers and use the back of a spoon. Gently smack the shell and it will crack cleanly.

Stone crab claws are a renewable resource because the crabs can re-grow harvested claws. While both claws can be taken lawfully if each is of legal size, defined as a 2.75-inch propodus (the larger, immovable part of the claw’s pincer), harvesting only one claw is preferable for the crab’s protection and feeding ability. It is illegal to take claws from female stone crabs carrying eggs.

Several restrictions apply to the recreational harvesting of stone crabs. For more stone crab information, including rules governing recreational harvesting, visit the FWC website at http://myfwc.com/.

The 2010-2011 stone crab season continues through May 15.

To find out about Florida Keys accommodations and restaurants during stone crab season, visit www.fla-keys.com.
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MARATHON, Florida Keys — Keys boating visitors and residents can practice their follow-through while feeding the fish and raising money for charity during Marathon’s Conch Life Scramble Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24-25. The scramble is the third in a series of wild and wacky on-the-water golf tournaments in the Florida Keys.

As many as 40 teams consisting of four players and a fifth designated driver are expected to participate. Players take two shots at each of nine holes located at waterfront venues throughout Marathon, using environmentally friendly biodegradable golf balls that become fish food after 96 hours in the water.

Holes consist of two floating rings set from 30 to 120 yards off a dock or beach. Golfers are awarded points for their shots, depending on whether they land inside or outside the rings. Scratch golfers beware — only irons and putters are allowed, though mulligans are available for purchase.

A kick-off party, final registration and rules meeting are scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at the Key Colony Inn restaurant, 700 W. Ocean Drive on Key Colony Beach. Live and silent auctions are planned as well.

Boaters are to meet Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at Lazy Days South, 725 11th St. oceanside, for hole location assignments and a free continental breakfast. A shotgun start follows.

Awards are to be given for best team score, best individual score, best-dressed team and hard-luck team. A barbecue and awards lunch is set for 3 p.m. at Indigo Reef Resort near mile marker 52 oceanside.

The entry fee is $500 per team, including on-the-water themed ditty bags and event shirts. Proceeds benefit the Domestic Abuse Shelter and the Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens.

An additional Conch Life Scramble event is slated for Nov. 5-6 in Key West, with a playoff tournament scheduled Dec.10-11 in Islamorada.

For more information and to register for the Marathon scramble, call Larry Kahn at 305-731-6845, e-mail Keysdude123@gmail.com or visit www.conchlifescramble.com.

For area accommodations, contact the Marathon Chamber of Commerce at 305-743-5417 or 800-262-7284, e-mail visitus@floridakeysmarathon.com, or visit the Florida Keys & Key West website at www.fla-keys.com.

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KEY WEST, Florida Keys — More than 60 beers and ales including unique microbrews are to be on tap at Key West BrewFest, scheduled Friday through Sunday, Sept. 3-5, beside the Atlantic Ocean.

Also featuring mouthwatering food and live reggae and calypso music, the Labor Day weekend celebration is hosted by the Southernmost Hotel Collection and the Key West Sunrise Rotary Club of the Conch Republic. Proceeds are to benefit the club and its charitable efforts both locally and worldwide.

The selection of beers is to include such intriguingly named offerings as Holy Mackerel, Monk in the Trunk, Magic Hat, Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre and UFO White as well as widely recognized specialty brews. Local favorites such as Key West Sunset Ale and Bubba are to be on hand as well.

“I thought that because so many of us enjoy beer in Key West to replenish our fluids on hot summer days, we should celebrate beer in some fashion,” said festival founder Matthew Babich, general manager of the Southernmost Hotel Collection and president of the Key West Sunrise Rotary Club.

BrewFest begins with a 5-7 p.m. VIP welcome party Friday, Sept. 3, at the Shores Bar at Southernmost on the Beach Hotel, 508 South St. A $5 donation is requested.

The festival’s centerpiece, a lively oceanfront food and brew gala, is set for 4-8 p.m. Saturday at Southernmost on the Beach. Attendees can taste featured beers, savor food provided by the Southernmost Beach Café and rock to the reggae sounds of Toko Irie. Admission is $20 per person.

Lovers of libations will find fine ale, lager, stout and other brews paired with fine food Sunday during the six-course Samuel Adams Beer Dinner. Slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Southernmost Beach Café, 1405 Duval St., the feast features such palate–pleasers as blackened shrimp over arugula, chilled lobster gazpacho, grilled swordfish with a citrus drizzle and dark chocolate lava cake. Cost is $50 per person plus tax and gratuities.

For event information, ticketing and Southernmost Hotel Collection accommodations packages, visit www.keywestbrewfest.com, call 800-354-4455 or e-mail info@keywestbrewfest.com.

For additional lodging information in Key West, contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-LAST-KEY (800-527-8539), or visit the Keys website at www.fla-keys.com.

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KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Motorcyclists from throughout the United States are to travel one of America’s most scenic highways to raise money for charity during the 38th annual Key West Poker Run, set for Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 16-19.

Riders on up to 10,000 bikes are expected to traverse the Overseas Highway (U.S. Highway 1), the 113-mile roadway from mainland Florida to Key West that features 42 bridges and long vistas of breathtaking open water.

Beginning Sept. 1 bikers can register at Peterson’s Harley-Davidson of Miami, 19400 N.W. 2nd Ave., and Peterson’s Harley-Davidson South, 19825 S. Dixie Highway. Online registration is accepted before that date at www.petersonsharley.com.

Upon registering and making a $10 donation, each participant receives a poker sheet and weekend parking pass. Additional “poker hands” are available for $10 apiece. Drivers of cars and trucks also can participate in the run.

For early arrivals in Key West, a bar stroll is planned on Upper Duval Street Thursday night, Sept. 16, ending in a beach party at the Southernmost Beach Café, 1405 Duval St.

Starting at 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 17, Poker Run participants are to ride the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West, stopping at designated points to draw cards. The fifth and final stop is Key West’s Conch Republic Seafood Co., 631 Greene St.

Entrants who draw the 10 best poker hands are eligible to play in a winner-take-all round of Texas Hold ‘Em, competing for a new Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster custom motorcycle. The action takes place at Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, 511 Greene St., at 11 p.m. Saturday.

The lower part of Key West’s famed Duval Street is to be closed to car traffic during much of the Poker Run so bikers with weekend parking passes can park on the street to display their bikes.

Saturday, Sept. 18, Big Bike Riders Association representatives are to judge the annual custom bike show with proceeds earmarked for charity. Events take place in front of Rick’s/Durty Harry’s, 208 Duval St., with trophies awarded in multiple classes. Registration costs $25 per bike.

Bike aficionados also can find merchandise including motorcycle accessories and apparel at the Poker Run Vendor Village on Greene Street just off Duval.

Sloppy Joe’s, 201 Duval St., hosts its annual “Biker Bash” from noon until 11 p.m. Saturday, with contests including a wacky “Bikers on Tricycles” challenge.

Poker Run attendees can chill out from noon to 4 p.m. at a pool party at the Southernmost Hotel, 1319 Duval St., with music and giveaways. The annual Paradise Tattoo Contest and bikini show are planned Saturday at the Schooner Wharf Bar, 202 William St.

Sunday events include a morning blessing of the bikes, followed by a Bloody Mary brunch and beach party at the Southernmost Beach Café.

For details including a full schedule, visit www.petersonskeywestpokerrun.com.

For lodging information in Key West, contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-LAST-KEY (800-527-8539) or visit www.fla-keys.com

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KEY LARGO, Florida Keys — Plans are underway for a milestone birthday celebration as John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, America’s first underwater preserve, turns 50 years old. The historic event is set for Wednesday, Dec. 1, through Saturday, Dec. 11, offering an ideal occasion for divers, snorkelers and other visitors to discover or rediscover the Key Largo park.

The park was dedicated Dec. 10, 1960, capping efforts by the late “Miami Herald” editor John Pennekamp to create the Florida Keys jewel that lies just 90 minutes’ drive from Miami. Today, the park named for Pennekamp draws more than one million visitors annually to explore its nature trails and beaches and observe the abundant underwater wildlife that inhabits its 70 nautical miles.

The 50th anniversary celebration spotlights the history of the park and its mission of protecting and preserving the natural resources within its boundaries — particularly a portion of America’s only living coral barrier reef.

Highlights are to include an underwater birthday celebration at one of the park’s most famous offshore attractions, the nine-foot bronze “Christ of the Deep” that rests gracefully in 20 feet of water. The iconic statue, a replica of the like-named statue in the Mediterranean Sea, was donated to the Underwater Society of America in 1961 by industrialist Egidi Cressi.

Visitors to Key Largo also can participate in community-wide land- and water-based events for the whole family, including a planned world–record snorkel attempt and informational and educational activities in conjunction with Key Largo’s Protect the Reef Days,

An educational expo is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 11, at the park with conservation-minded educational vendor booths as well as nationally renowned guest speakers.

Visitors also can enjoy the park’s popular water activities during the event, such as viewing the reef from a glass-bottom boat, canoeing, kayaking or fishing. Nature trails, picnic pavilions, beaches and campsites round out the site’s wide variety of outdoor activities.

Several independently owned dive shops in the Key Largo area are to offer special diving and snorkeling trips during the 11-day celebration, while local restaurants are concocting signature “Pennekamp 50th” culinary dishes and cocktails. Specially priced accommodations and activities are planned throughout Key Largo.

For more information and event highlights, visit www.fla-keys.com/pennekamp50.

For area accommodations, contact the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at 800-822-1088, e-mail info@keylargochamber.org or visit www.fla-keys.com.

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