[The Travel Slut]

This year was the 27th annual Fantasy Fest and the theme was "Key Weird on the Dis-Oriented Express" . Fantasy Fest is always celebrated the last 2 weekends of October in a 10 day celebration of Halloween and the autumn season leading into the holidays.

Most nights have a some type of sub-theme to them, but any type of costume or dressing up is always appreciated by other participants and attendees. The main themes each night for the primary 7 nights are:
1st Saturday: Anything goes night
1st Sunday: Pirates & Wenches night
Monday: Leather & Fetish night
Tuesday: Plaid or some variation night
Wednesday: Red Night
Thursday: Toga Night
Friday: Anything goes
2nd Saturday: Parade Night and anything goes
2nd Sunday: It ain't over till the fat lady sings-anything goes

Fantasy Fest celebrations are held throughout the city in various venues from the Atlantic Shores Resort to Sloppy Joe's Bar & Grill and the Pier House to Captain Tony's Saloon.

Some of the events have nominal fees charged for entrance and some of the monies collected throughout the event are donated to local charities.

Most of the street activities occur on Duval Street which rivals New Orleans' Bourbon Street. The crowds at Fantasy Fest generally range from 50,000 to 70,000 and are less rowdy than those found at Mardi Gras, especially earlier in the week.

Bodypaint is acceptable (and welcomed) any night of the festival and it does constitute a "costume" in public but primarily in the "Fantasy Zone" on Duval Street.

Fantasy Fest is not a time nor place to bring the children or under-21 crowd as there is considerable drinking in public, displays of various body parts (flashing), risque' costumes (or no costumes at all sometimes), bodypainting as a costume (head to toe) and even some suggestive behavior exhibited publically. It is not a place for the timid or shy.

This year's Fantasy Fest was especially fun because 2005's celebration was abbreviated due to the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma.