Big Party Time

by Adele Woodyard

Halloween has always been a fun time to have a party and two affairs that can draw 50,000 or more celebrants occur in Florida. One even lasts more than a week If you’re on vacation, looking for a weekend break, or have just a day to get away from it all, here’s where you can find a BIG PARTY .

Key West: This year’s famous Fantasy Fest runs from Oct. 22 to Oct. 31, and its theme is Habitat for Insanity. Bars, restaurants, hotels, shops all get into the act, with madcap contests, big prize money, and creative costumes, or lack of same, that make you blush. Want to pretend you’re like Adam and Eve? You can dally at a Garden of Eden, clothing optional, rooftop bar–body painting for the modest–from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. And that’s every day. Despite Fantasy Fest’s reputation for adult entertainment, there’s plenty of opportunity for the whole family, even pets, to enjoy themselves. And much of it is for little or no money. For full schedule, click on http://www.fantasyfest.net

Oct. 22 & 23 start with GOOMBAY, a family friendly street party to the sound and taste of the Caribbean. Noon-midnight; FREE. Saturday evening from 7-9 p.m. there’s music, dancing, food and drink at Fort Zachary Taylor’s Vampire Ball. Plus a costume contest.

Oct. 25, local artists, decorate, model and auction off one-of-a-kind bras at the 4th Annual “Pinking of You.” 6 p.m. Money collected benefits WomanKind, Inc. for breast cancer education. .
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Pets join the party in a Pet Masquerade and Parade on Oct. 27 afternoon. FREE to watch, Fee to participate.Next evening Mom and Dad can enjoy the FREE Monster’s Ball, an annual costume party that starts at 10 p.m at the Green Parrot Bar.

Oct. 29 brings more Freebies, with the Fantasy Fest Street Fair from noon-10 p.m. and a Masquerade March that begins at 5 p.m.

Saturday, Oct 30 is a major event with the floats, bands and dancing groups in the Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade. 7 p.m. FREE. Children’s Day wraps up the festivities from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31.

Oct. 30 Ybor City/Tampa celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Mama Guava Stumble Parade, with Guavaween, a one day affair. The Family Fun Fest is FREE from 10 a.m.-3 p.m..with trick-or-treat, spooky story times, and a costume parade and contest. In between these activities, you can enjoy live entertainment on multiple stages.

After 3 p.m. the entry fee is $17. The Mama Guava Stumble Parade for adults begins at 8:30 p.m. Non-motorized this year in honor of the anniversary, it calls for the creative thinking so prevalent at its start in 1985. There are prizes in ten categories, including Best and Worst in Show, with a $3 rebate on admission for participants. A costume contest has a $2,000 prize for the first place winner. http://www.cc-events.org