Fantasy Fest Pet Masquerade

WARNING: The first part of this review is a bit risqué and crude… but I assure you it becomes cleaner as you read… I promise.
«BOOBS»… big, small, perky, saggy, robust, droopy…
«BUTTS»… round, flat, dimpled, firm, jiggly…
And yes… the occasional… «WIENER»… skinny, thick, long, short, mushroom like, turtle-​necks…
Truth is, in addition to partying these body parts of some of the first things people think of when they hear the words «FANTASY FEST». Some people even hear the words «KEY WEST» and immediately think of «FANTASY FEST». I would assume the main reason families don’t bring the children to Fantasy Fest is because of the indecent dress code.
Sadly though, most people have the wrong perception of Fantasy Fest all together…
Most people (including those who have been to and those that have not been to Fantasy Fest) think this classic Key West festival is just two days… Just about anyone that is planning a trip looks for hotels for Friday and Saturday night with the belief that Friday is the Masquerade March down Duval Street (followed by a night of bar hopping and partying)… and Saturday night is the famous Street Parade down Duval Street (followed by another night of bar hopping and partying).
What they didn’t realize is that Fantasy Fest actually begins the Sunday before those events… and there are multitudes of organized parties open to the public, private parties for a fee (many for a good cause in mind), drinking and dining events and so much more…
Granted the Friday night Masquerade March and Saturday night’s Street Parade are the highlights (AND LOADED WITH NAUGHTY BEHAVIOR), not all the events are inappropriate for children.
That’s right… many of them are NOT RISQUE; just one of many reason to bring your kids to Fantasy Fest !
And by far, my favorite event (APPROPRIATE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY) is the «PET MASQUERADE» !
Each and every year the Pet Masquerade takes place on the landscaped lawns of one of the finest hotels on the island, The Flagler Hotel… better known as the «Casa Marina Hotel».
Basically the Pet Masquerade is a Pet Costume Contest that is held to benefit the LKFOA (Lower Keys Friends Of Animals)… the contest is broken down into four categories and each category has prizes for first, second and third place… The categories are:
* * * Junior Division (all about the kids)
* * * Most Exotic (not so much the kids but not crazy either)
* * * Pet and Owner Look-​Alike (quite funny to watch this one)
* * * Fantasy Fest Theme (costumes that match that year’s Fantasy Fest theme)
Some of my personal favorites have been Bo Peep with her sheep (of course she was dressed as a sexy version of Bo Peep and her dogs were wearing sheep costumes… another was Richie Rich and his dog Dollar (this little kid and his dog looked just like you’d expect from the old comic books; right down to the dollar sign spots on the dog)… and my ALL TIME FAVORITE was… Colonel Sanders carrying a chicken (his dog dressed like a chicken).
And of course every year there are certain costumes you’d expect such as Wizard of Oz characters, all sorts of super heroes (like Superman and his sidekick Robin) and the ever popular 101 Dalmatians (Cruella de Vil with her kidnapped dalmatians).
Ironically, everyone just thinks «dogs» and maybe «cats» but there are so many more species than you’d expect. Iguanas, ducks and snakes are not uncommon and sometimes make up some of the best costumes… I remember one year a kid has his pet iguana (maybe a lizard) riding on a miniature Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Keep in mind when you choose your costume for this or any other Fantasy Fest gathering that NOTHING is «AVERAGE» in during Fantasy Fest… The costumes you see are, for the most part, over the top and very impressive. Just take a glance at some of the pictures I have uploaded.
In addition to the kids having a great time watching and participating in this event is the Pet Masquerade is FREE TO ATTEND…
You should keep in mind that the Pet Masquerade’s popularity attracts quite the crowd BUT there is an option to pay $ 20 for VIP Seating… In most situations, I’d say «save your money, it’s not worth the cost» but this VIP package is a bargain considering your twenty dollars includes VIP Seating, two drinks and five dollars of your VIP cost goes to the «Lower Keys Friends Of Animals» as a donation.