Partygoers in Key West enjoy the annual "Halloween for Grownups" in the street.

Much like New Orleans has become known for Mardi Gras, Florida's Key West is fast becoming known for Fantasy Fest, an annual Halloween celebration that becomes increasingly elaborate year by year. Dubbed as the "Halloween for Grownups," Fantasy Fest is a 10-day festival that takes place at the end of every October.

The annual pilgramage

Each year, as many as 90,000 people journey to Key West to participate in the festivities of Fantasy Fest. Using it as an excuse to party, some UCF students were among the lucky travelers.

"I drove down on Friday with five girls and this girl's brother," said junior public relations major Jon Warszynski. "We all crammed into a room at the Comfort Inn, but the hotel was three miles away from Duval Street and I had to walk back in the freezing cold at 3 in the morning after I got separated from everyone!"

A fresh theme

Key West native and UCF student Gary Hernandez, senior music and psychology major, described Fantasy Fest as a cross between Trinidad's Carnival and Mardi Gras.

Each year, Fantasy Fest is given a different theme, which is incorporated into all the events. The theme for Fantasy Fest 2001, which took place October 19th-28th, was "Secrets of the Zodiac, Revealed." This theme was based upon the legend that the island chain of the Florida Keys is in perfect alignment with the stars.

Hernandez said: "For 10 days, there are all kinds of events that lead up to this huge parade, which is held on Saturday evening on Duval Street. The parade has Halloween floats from different organizations, bands, and people in really elaborate costumes. They also name a king and queen of Fantasy Fest, and everyone parties in the street all night after the parade. It's just one big wild excuse to get crazy."

The traditional events

Fantasy Fest 2001 kicked off on Oct. 19 with a Goombay Celebration in Bahama Village. Other scheduled events throughout the week included balls, a circus, a talent show, food fests, costume contests, airbrush competitions and the annual Pet Masquerade and Parade on Oct. 24 at the Casa Marina Resort.

Hernandez said, "Several thousand people attend the Pet Masquerade each year, and people get so into it. Some people actually spend thousands of dollars dressing up their pets, and you see everything from pot-bellied pigs to cockatoos, in these really elaborate costumes. I think the same guy has won every time for the past few years."

Less (clothes) is more

"Although the 'show boobs for beads' theme has become increasingly popular over the past few years, Fantasy Fest is still much more naked than Mardi Gras."

Fantasy Fest has also become notorious for its atmospheric nudity. Warszynski said, "There were mad naked people everywhere! The majority of women had their bodies airbrushed. Girls had lions and tigers and bears painted on their chests, and a lot of stuff was definitely celebrating sex."

Hernandez added: "There's always the occasional non-painted naked person running around, along with some flashers in trench coats. Although the 'show boobs for beads' theme has become increasingly popular over the past few years, Fantasy Fest is still much more naked than Mardi Gras."

Non-naked costumes

Shanel Pazo, a freshman communicative disorders major who also grew up in Key West, said that the people who don't have their bodies painted are either dressed in extravagant costumes or dressed in really nice clothes. "Some people really go all out," said Hernandez. "You see stuff like costumes with peacock feathers that branch out 20 feet...really creative and expensive stuff."

Warszynski said he dressed as a "guy from the 70s," complete with a polyester shirt, a mullet wig, adidas pants and cop glasses. "One of the girls I went with dyed her hair pink and dressed up like a dark angel," he said. "And another friend wore a cowboy suit with a sign on his back that said 'Straddle my saddle'!"

Warszynski added that there were "guys in drag everywhere."

Something for the kids

Sunday, which is always the day after the Parade, is dubbed as "children's day." Pazo said, "Everyone takes their kids to Baby Park, where they have free games and events all day long that are specifically geared toward children. They have stuff like pumpkin carving, foods, costume contests, and bands."

The usual crowd

Freshman buisiness major Kristen Scott, who also attended Fantasy Fest 2001, said that Fantasy Fest this year was just as crowded as previous years, despite all the anthrax threats and warnings of this year. "It was packed on Saturday night," Warszynski added. "The drive home on Sunday was a nightmare, with everyone trying to leave."

Warszynski said that his favorite part about Fantasy Fest was that everyone was "cool" in Key West. "Unlike Guavaween in Tampa, I didn't see any fights at Fantasy Fest. I didn't see the cops arrest anyone the whole time we were there, either," he said.

No suspicions here

Warszynski said, "The secu rity there was terrible, because no one ever checked our bags or our I.D.s...but how can anyone expect there to be good security with 90,000 people in one place? Regardless of how safe it was, we had a blast!"

All of the quoted UCF students who attended the event said they would like to return to Key West to attend Fantasy Fest 2002.

If you'd like to go to Fantasy Fest 2002, click here for travel information or to make hotel reservations.

For a detailed schedule of events, rules and regulations, or to see photos from this years fantasy fest, go to the official Fantasy Fest website.

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