Key West Holiday Parade

Key West, FL -
Some say it just isn’t Christmas without the chilly temperatures and a little snow, but don’t tell that to the many onlookers who line Duval each year for the Holiday Christmas Parade! Now, don’t think Macy’s or any other parade you might have seen on television… this is Key West, the last resort… and for most, time stands still on this tiny island at the very end of the Florida Keys.

Key West Holiday Parade

December 6, 2008

Where: Duval Street

Website: KeyWest.com

If you’re old enough to “think back,” you might remember with fondness the way Christmas used to be before it became so commercialized? You know, Moms and Dads lining the street with babes in arms just to see the High School Band marching down Main Street. If you add a few old-fashion Christmas lights along the street, a few carolers from one church or another and a few local dignitaries, you’ve pretty much got the picture for this Key West parade…a well-worn relic from the past, but absolutely irresistible.

This is probably one of the few G-rated events on the island and it is so warm and fuzzy that it’s positively “bear-like!” Nothing wrong with that at Christmas and if a cold spell happens to be coming through, excited parade goers might even have the opportunity to pull out a sweater from deep inside their closets to offset the chilly 65 degrees! If not, every one will simply dress appropriately in the usual Key West costume-shorts, tank top and sandals.

Of course, there will be a float or two, that someone spent plenty of time decorating in the holiday spirit, and half the town will march along in… well, costumes… as marching bands fill the air with “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “We Three Kings!” Every convertible in town will be put to good use ferrying people that “matter” down the street and it all happens before any child is meant to be in bed, fast asleep-really! And believe it or not, more than a few riders on horseback appear from somewhere (certainly NOT on the island) to add their equine charm to the festivity. Naturally food vendors are around to nourish all the hungry people lining the street and once the parade stops, anyone interested may participate in a variety of planned activities that definitely spread good cheer!

The parade gets going on December 6th just so you’ll have almost an entire month to enjoy the Christmas spirit that ensues! If you happen to be walking along Key West’s most famous street, Duval Street, at this hour, you’ll think you stepped into a time machine, as you travel back to a much simpler time, years ago…and that my friends is NOT a bad thing-it’s a very good thing, indeed…and in Key West, it’s practically unbelievable. Merry Christmas to ALL… Key West has had it right for a very long time!