Visitors to the Florida Keys can join in celebrating the bicentennial of the subtropical island chain this year. Festivities start with a “200 Years of Paradise Kick-off Concert” on 25 March in Key West.
Celebrations will salute the 200th anniversary of the Florida legislature’s founding of Monroe County, which contains the entire Florida Keys, on 3 July 1823. From Key Largo to Key West, events throughout 2023 are set to recognise and recall the Keys’ two centuries of rich and vibrant history.
Live Music, History Presentations & Drone Fireworks
Festivities begin at 6 pm on 25 March at Key West’s Coffee Butler Amphitheatre in Truman Waterfront Park. This is a free programme combining live music, Keys history presentations and drone “fireworks.” Over two hundred drones will illuminate the sky over Truman Waterfront Park. Imagery will highlight the Keys and their bicentennial.
Bicentennial Events in 2023 will include:
15-16 April – Naval Air Station Key West’s Southernmost Air Spectacular, a weekend air show starring the famed Blue Angels and honouring two centuries of the U.S. Navy’s presence in Key West so it might be worth extending an Easter holiday a day or two to enjoy this spectacular.
10 June – A sea-to-table dinner in Islamorada highlighting the island chain’s local chefs, fishing captains, artists, and coral restoration initiatives.
3 July – Bicentennial Day festivities and fireworks in the Lower Keys, to feature the creation of the world’s largest Key lime pie. In addition, museum exhibits around the Keys, regular annual festivals, and the Florida Keys Council of the Arts’ 300-canvas “Connections Project” mosaic mural will be themed to celebrate the historic bicentennial and the Keys’ multifaceted heritage.
Festivities throughout 2023 will illustrate ways the island chain’s vivid history has contributed to its present-day character and atmosphere, milestones that have contributed to its evolution since 1823, and the spirit and sense of community that underlie the Keys’ distinctive lifestyle.
Present daysites that bring the Keys’ past to life include:
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo
Dedicated in 1960, this is the site of the US’ first undersea park, named for newspaperman and conservationist John Pennekamp. Covering 70 nautical square miles, set sail in a glass-bottom boat or enjoy a snorkel tour of the Florida Keys’ coral reef and dive and snorkel tours to the Christ of the Deep statue. The park forms part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which protects the continental US’ only living barrier coral reef.
Historic homes in Key West
History fans in Key West can tour both the Harry S. Truman Little White House Museum, Florida’s only presidential museum. It was constructed in 1890 as naval officers housing. This was the winter White House for President Harry S Truman for 175 days during 11 visits between 1946 and 1952. Following on from this, it was home to the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum where the legendary author lived and wrote for most of the 1930s.
Seven Mile Bridge
One of the world’s longest segmental bridges and the centrepiece of the iconic Florida Keys Overseas Highway. This stretches above the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico and connects Marathon to the Lower Keys. Paralleling it is the Old Seven Mile Bridge, part of the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was conceived by visionary Henry Flagler and completed in 1912. Called the eighth wonder of the world, the railroad connected the Keys with each other and mainland Florida for the first time.
Beneath the old bridge lies the tiny island of Pigeon Key, a former work camp for labourers constructing the bridge. Now featuring restored buildings and a museum, Pigeon Key offers visitors a journey back in time. It’s accessible by tram or by walking or bicycling a refurbished section of the Old Seven Mile Bridge, which re-opened in 2022.
For more on Flager, check out ITTN’s features on his museum and the famous resort, Breakers, which he built:
For more information on the Florida Keys & Key West, visit www.fla-keys.co.uk
