Calendar of Events

January Wreckers Levi/Levi Club Pool Party • Sunday Gay Bingo • Super Ball Parties Galore • Yachting Race Week • Literary Seminar • Sculpture Come as you Are February Wreckers Levi/Leather Lonely Hearts Party • Valentine’s Day Celebration • Sunday Gay Bingo • Mardi Gras Key West Celebration • Annual “Kelly McGillis Classic” Women and Fly to the Gay Destination. All major airlines offer fast, Girls Flag Football Championship • Sculpture Key West nonstop and direct service from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta and Orlando. March Oscar Night • Mr.Key West Leather • Pink St.Patrick’s Day Street Party From Miami: From Naples: and Parade • Gay Spring Break-all month • Sunday Gay Bingo American Eagle ...... 1-800-433-7300 Cape Air ...... 1-800-352-0714 • Southernmost Party • Sculpture Key West Gulfstream/Continental ...... 1-800-992-8532 US Air...... 1-800-428-4322 From Orlando: April Annual Queen for a Day Aprils Fool’s Day • Wreckers Levi/Leather American Eagle ...... 1-800-433-7300 Monthly Themed Event • Easter Bonnet Brunch • Sunday Gay From Ft. Lauderdale: Delta/Delta Connection ....1-800-221-1212 Bingo • Conch Republic Days Celebration • Annual Bed Races Cape Air ...... 1-800-352-0714 US Air ...... 1-800-428-4322 • Annual Drag Races Gulfstream/Continental ...... 1-800-992-8532 US Air...... 1-800-428-4322 May From Tampa: Taste of Key West • Queen Mother Pageant • Cinco de Mayo American Eagle ...... 1-800-433-7300 Celebration & Street Fair • Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Annual From Ft. Myers: Delta/Delta Connection ....1-800-221-1212 Shipwreck Run • Memorial Day Celebration and tea dance Cape Air ...... 1-800-352-0714 Gulfstream/Continental ...... 1-800-992-8532 • Sunday Gay Bingo • Wreckers Levi/Leather Monthly Theme Event • Survivors Party • Tropical Heat US Air ...... 1-800-428-4322 From Atlanta: June Delta/Delta Connection ....1-800-221-1212 PrideFest • Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Monthly Event • Sunday Gay Bingo • Cinema Shores Movie Night Thursdays • Key West Theatre Festival • Cuban American Festival

July Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks • Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Anniversary Party •Sunday Gay Bingo • Days

August Sunday Gay Bingo • Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Bar Night

September Womenfest Week • Sniffin the Seats Bar Crawl • Biker Babe Tattoo Contest • Corn Queen Pageant • Sunday Gay Bingo • Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Event For more information, call 1-877-724-5247, October or, outside the U.S., call (305) 294-4603. Sunday Gay Bingo• Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Ball • Fantasy Fest Celebration • Bal Masque Ball • Headdress Ball • Goombay Festival Or write the Key West Business Guild, P.O. Box 1208, Key West, FL 33041. November Cayo Carnival • Sunday Gay Bingo • Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Monthly Event • Thanksgiving Celebrate Our Family & Turkey Turnabout Contest • Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Thanksgiving Party • Pirates in Paradise • APBA Offshore Worlds

December • Full Moon Celebration • Sunday Gay Bingo • Wreckers Levi/Leather Club Holiday Party Visit our web site at http://www.fla-keys.com/gaykeywest • New Year’s Eve Celebration- Dropping of the High Heel E-mail: [email protected]

Photography by Ed Cox Photography and Stuart Newman Associates. ©2005/2006 Monroe County Commission. All rights reserved. MCTKW-8326/2.5K Getting Acquainted

There’s plenty to do and see on this two by four mile island. The quaint village is colored with lush Bougainvillaea, Royal Poinciana, and Hibiscus blossoms. Streets are lined with lovingly restored Victorian homes in every hue of the famous Key West sunset. Many are on the National Register, formerly lived in by the likes of playwright Tennessee Williams and poet Elizabeth Bishop. A testament to the laid back Welcome atmosphere, secluded courtyards and lazy porch swings are permanent Aside from its natural beauty, Key West’s warm, fixtures. And to maintain a leisurely pace, bicycles are the preferred mode of transportation. come as you are atmosphere is one of the main reasons The turquoise water beckons visitors with its endless list of possibilities. Hundreds of dive and snorkel for the island’s popularity with gay and lesbian visitors. sites are just off shore. Try one of our gay/lesbian or clothing–optional excursions (the fish will never tell). Anglers will be happy to know the balmy subtropical Key West is an integrated community that is a safe and climate promises sensational fishing opportunities 365 days a year. But if you’d rather be in a lounge gay-friendly place to be open and relaxed, to make new chair than a fighting chair, gay and lesbian sunset cruises offer spectacular views of pastel skies as the pulse of Mallory Square friends, and be embraced by the small town’s live and let festivities beat in the not too distant background. live philosophy. In fact, Key West’s official motto, adopted As one of the country’s top rated destinations for by the City Commission, is “One Human Family.” It’s no gay and lesbian travelers, commitment ceremonies are a daily celebration in wonder gay men and women feel more themselves on this Key West. The welcoming atmosphere and beautiful courtyard or seaside settings make it the perfect place for a union and honeymoon hideaway. subtropical island than anywhere else in the world. That’s why many become permanent residents. Entertainment & Events

If you like the night life and you like to boogie, you’ve come to the right place. Key West has some terrific clubs, rock & roll bars, tropical bars and jazz clubs. Make your waytoacabaretfor a spicy performance by stiletto and lipstick clad drag queens. In fact, many The eclectic mix of locals and passersby and the nationally known drag stars love to spend time here. After which, you’ll need to loosen your collar, grab a breath of fresh air and a brew at one of the legendary back splash of tropical color make Key West an open air pubs. You may decide to let loose completely with a special show at one of our nude entertainment artist’s haven. Galleries and outdoor markets or dance clubs. Or, if you’re feeling more low key, kick back in a cocktail lounge or swanky piano bar. And while there are some exclusive gay/lesbian showcase the paintings, sculptures, and other gathering spots, even in the mainstream places same-sex couples are met with a welcome as warm objects d’art of the local talent. In fact, the Key West as the simmering nights. Art Gallery Association estimates that the island On Saturdays, you may want to soak in the scenery on the Gay & Lesbian trolley tour. And any day of the week you can visit the Butterfly & is currently home to more visual artists and Nature Conservatory. galleries per capita than anywhere else in the For such a small island, Key West sure has a big social calendar. With year round . Visitors can take home a little piece events and celebrations – many of them designed to of the Keys in a variety of artistic expressions appeal specifically to gay and lesbian visitors – any time is a good time to arrive. For a listing of festivals and including oils, watercolors, sculptures, Haitian cultural events, please see the Calendar of Events. And for an overview of Key West, see the map on the primitives, photography, pottery, wood carvings, back of this brochure. art glass and more. History & Culture

With more than 2,500 historical buildings here, Key West is an island rich in architectural heritage. Its famous “Carpenter Gothic” gingerbread houses have hosted novelists, playwrights, painters, poets, even presidents. In fact, one of the aspects that first attracted the gay population to Key West in the 1970’s was the scores of dilapi- dated Victorian houses begging to be restored into fabulous showplaces.

Highlights include the Little White House Culture in the Conch Republic? You better believe it. Museum, dedicated to President Harry Truman’s tenure, the Audubon Key West has a long tradition of presenting fine House, San Carlos Institute (the cultural center for the Cuban exile community), the House and the Key West Lighthouse Museum. For dramas, comedies and musicals in intimate theaters. a glorious glimpse into the past, visit the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, where resurrected artifacts and Several venues offer locally produced masterpieces treasures bedazzle. For such a small town, as well as guest artists and road companies from Key West is big on culture. Besides live theatre, the around the world. Most of the island’s four town boasts a local (yet world-class) Symphony, theaters are within walking distance of each other. a Pops Orchestra, Opera Theatre and Film Society. The Key West Founders It is here at the Red Barn Theater, Waterfront Society brings in top talent from all over the world to round out a full cultural season. Playhouse, Tennessee Williams Theatre and San Carlos Institute that the legacies of Tennessee Williams and other playwrights live on through exciting and provocative productions. Eat, Drink, Be Merry.

A festival for your taste buds, Key West is home to world class chefs. Many restaurants artfully prepare the island delicacies – succulent Key West pink shrimp, Conch, fresh fish, and Key Lime Pie with their own unique flair. Whatever the culinary theme, the ambiance is as enticing as the entrée. From romantic courtyards to chic sidewalk cafes, you’ll soon discover why Key West is meant A stroll down Duval street will present you to be savored. with endless shopping opportunities. Must Relax and Stay Awhile haves include funky native lounge wear, hand Key West’s accommodations range from elegant crafted jewelry, sea shells, aloe products, hand- resorts to cozy tropical guest houses. Many guest houses cater primarily to gay men, lesbians, rolled cigars, and plenty of other fun-in-the- or a combination of both. They’re often private hideaways tucked underneath swaying sun accessories. If you’re feeling adventuresome, palms, furnished with island wicker or rattan and museum quality antiques. It’s common go wild in the adult “toy shops”. to find private pools, private beaches, and clothing-optional sunning decks. Many establishments offer suites or apartments that are perfect for groups of friends. Map Listings Historic 1 Key West Aquarium 31 Alfonso/Carrasco House Old Town 2 Waterfront Playhouse 32 Key West Armory 3 Key West Art & Historical Museum 33 Charles Pendleton House (Custom House) 34 Frank Knight House 4 Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum 35 Bayview Park/Martí Statue 5 Little White House Museum 36 Tennessee Williams House 6 Presidential Gates 37 Charles Thompson House 7 Audubon House & Tropical 38 Mercedes Hospital Gardens 39 Harvey Government Center at the 8 Old City Hall Historic Truman School 9 Curry Mansion 40 St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church 10 George Bowne Patterson House 11 Dr. Joseph Yates Porter House 41 Fire Department Station No. 3 12 Heritage House Museum & Robert 42 Armas de Oro Cigar Factory Frost Cottage 43 Coral Rock House 13 Oldest House Museum 44 Casa Marina 14 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 45 West Martello Tower 15 Key West United Methodist 46 East Martello Church 47 Vining Harris House 16 Donkey Milk House 48 Gato Cigar Factory 17 Richard Peacon House 49 Nelson English House 18 Bahama Houses 50 Fort Zachary Taylor 19 Historic Seaport 51 Fort Jefferson 20 Harris School 52 Metropolitan Community Church 21 Key West City Cemetery 53 Sands African-Bahamian Museum 22 William Albury House 54 AIDS Memorial 23 John Lowe, Jr. House 55 Flagler Station Museum 24 Benjamin Curry, Jr. House 56 Red Barn Theater 25 San Carlos Institute 57 Key West Butterfly & Nature 26 Historic La Concha Hotel Conservatory 27 Monroe County Courthouse 58 Gay/Lesbian Trolley Stop TO TENNESSE WILLIAMS THEATRE 28 Cornish Memorial AME Zion Church 59 Pirate Soul Museum Key West 29 Ernest Hemingway House 60 Gay & Lesbian Visitor’s Center 30 Key West Lighthouse Museum