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CELEBRATE THE OLD MAN BY THE SEA
20TH Annual Hemingway Days Festival Slated for July 19-23
Pulitzer Prizewinning author Ernest Hemingway's literary
achievements, sporting pursuits and love of the island where he lived
throughout the 1930s are to be celebrated Wednesday through Sunday, July 19-23,
during Key West’s 20th annual Hemingway Days Festival. Ernest Hemingway wrote
such literary classics as "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "A Farewell
to Arms" and "To Have and Have Not" while he lived in a Spanish colonial
villa at 907 Whitehead Street. Festival highlights include a "Papa" Hemingway
look-alike contest, a party celebrating Hemingway’s July 21 birthday, a marlin
tournament, a street fair, a 5K race, an offbeat "Running of the
Bulls," a twilight party on the grounds of Hemingway’s former home, and a
short story competition directed by the author’s granddaughter, writer Lorian
Hemingway. Hemingway aficionados can begin celebrating early during
a pre-festival kickoff scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, July 15-16. Staged at
the author’s favorite watering hole, Sloppy Joe’s Bar at 201 Duval Street, the
weekend party is to feature live entertainment, drink specials and appearances
by men who look like "Papa" himself. Sloppy Joe’s, also, is slated to
host an all-day all-night 20th anniversary party for the festival on
Wednesday, July 19. From 5 p.m. until midnight, the area of Greene Street just
outside the bar is to be closed to vehicular traffic and open to fun as members
of the infamous Ernest Hemingway Look-Alike Society help prepare a giant vat of
conch chowder for the crowd. Proceeds from the sale of the chowder benefit the
society. More than 100 burly, bearded men resembling Hemingway
are expected to take part in the annual look-alike contest at Sloppy’ Joe’s,
judged by past winners and members of the Hemingway family. Preliminary rounds
are to be held 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 20 and 21. The bar, also, is to
host an all-day all-night "Papa’s birthday" party Friday, with live
entertainment, giveaways, drink specials and prizes. Look-alike finalists are
to face off at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 22. Following the contest’s final round,
the Look-alike Society hosts a cocktail party for the 2000 look-alike winner in
Sloppy Joe’s Speakeasy, with the public "ernestly" invited to
congratulate the newest "Papa." Hemingway "clones" also are to be on hand for
other festival events, including posing for free photos from noon to 3 p.m. and
after 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, July 19-22. At noon Saturday,
"Papa" doubles are to spearhead Sloppy Joe’s third annual "Running
of the Bulls" — an event created in the spirit of Pamplona’s famous run
featuring a breed of bull only found in Key West — at the corner of Duval and
Greene streets. A key lime pie-eating contest for look-alikes also is scheduled
at noon. Additionally, the "Papa" pretenders traditionally
participate in Sloppy Joe’s Hemingway Days Arm Wrestling Contest, slated for
noon Sunday, July 23. The Hemingway Days Caribbean Street Fair is scheduled
from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 22, as Duval Street is transformed into a
lively open-air marketplace. Benefiting Helpline, a Key West not-for-profit
organization, the street fair traditionally draws approximately 15,000 people
to enjoy arts, crafts and foods galore. Contest and Contact Information: For additional look-alike event information, call (305)
294-5717, ext. 17. For information about the Hemingway Days Caribbean
Street Fair and vendor registration, call1-800-273-4558 or e-mail keyline2000@aol.com The Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition continues a
tradition of literary excellence by supporting the efforts of emerging writers
of short fiction. Lorian Hemingway, whose recent memoir was nominated for both
a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award, is scheduled to present $2,000 in
cash prizes to the literary competition’s winners during Hemingway Days. She
also is to present the Kermit "Shine" Forbes Award — honoring her
grandfather’s Key West sparring partner, who died in February — to a short
story writer with a unique storytelling voice. For competition entry
information, call (305) 294-0320 or e-mail calico2419@aol.com In the spirit of encouraging literary talent, the Ernest
Hemingway Look-Alike Society is to award a $1,000 scholarship to a creative
writing student at Florida Keys Community College during the festival. Society members
are to select the most deserving recipient in conjunction with the college’s
English Department and the Florida Keys Educational Foundation. Those who appreciate "Papa’s" angling prowess
can attempt to emulate it by participating in the Key West Marlin Tournament,
set for Wednesday through Saturday, July 19-22. The tournament offers three
days of challenging fishing and more than $234,000 in available cash prizes for
top catches of marlin and fun fish (dolphin, tuna and wahoo). Cocktail parties,
a fish fry and a Saturday evening awards banquet, all to be held in Key West’s
Historic Seaport district, round out the tournament schedule. For information
and registration, call (305) 292-2710, e-mail info@keywestmarlin.com or
visit the tournament Web site at http://www.keywestmarlin.com At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the Hemingway Days/Southernmost
Motel 5K Sunset Run is to begin at the Southernmost Point in the continental
United States. The popular race, featuring several different age categories for
both male and female participants, charts a course through the streets of Old
Town Key West. Following a finish at the Southernmost Point, a post-race awards
presentation is to be held at the Southernmost Motel, 1319 Duval Street. For information
and registration, call (305) 296-7182 or e-mail bwpromo@bellsouth.net At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the popular annual Hemingway Days
Twilight Party is to be held on the grounds of the author’s Key West home.
Attendees can stroll the property, now a museum showcasing Hemingway’s Key West
years, and enjoy food, live entertainment and dancing under the stars. Tickets
are $15 per person, available at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, 907 Whitehead
Street. For information, call (305) 294-1136 or e-mail hemingwayhome@prodigy.net
For an overall Hemingway Days schedule, event entry
forms and further information, visit the festival Web site at www.hemingwaydays.com For lodging information, contact the Key West Visitor’s
Bureau at 1-800-LAST-KEY or visit the Keys Web site at www.fla-keys.com Edited by Kerry Cohen -Updated 6-28-00- |
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