Starting Tuesday, Key West is becoming "A Clean and Well Lighted Place" with the 37th annual Hemingway Days festival.
The six-day celebration commemorates the works of the famed author who called the Keys home in the 1920s and 30s.
The festival reaches a climax on Saturday with the Conch Republic's version of the Running of the Bulls and the final round of the famed Hemingway Look-Alike Contest where more than 120 stocky, bearded men gather on Ernest's hometown to emulate the author’s appearance and larger-than-life character.
Preliminary rounds are set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 20 and 21 (Ernest's birthday), with the finals at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The contest is judged by a group of former winners including 2016′s Dave Hemingway who, ironically, is not related to Ernest.
A complete list of the festival's events can be found here:
Tuesday, July 18
- 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - “Depicting Hemingway” museum exhibition. Info here
- 6 p.m. - “Hemingway & Harry’s Way,” an in-depth look at Hemingway's influence on novelist and educator Harry Crews. Followed by a champagne reception. Info here
Wednesday, July 19
- 4 p.m. - Final registration for the Havana Club Key West Marlin Tournament. Anglers compete for $50,000 in guaranteed cash prizes. Info here
- 5:30 p.m. - Meet the “Papas.” Get to know the contestants and previous winners of Sloppy Joe’s Hemingway Look-Alike Contest. Info here
- 6-8 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament captains meeting, auction and raffle. Dante’s Key West Pool Bar and Restaurant, upstairs
- 7:30-10 p.m. - “Voices, Places, Inspirations.” Author readings. Info here
Thursday, July 20
- 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament’s first day of fishing
- 12 to 4 p.m. - Key West Art & Historical Society’s Hemingway Symposium (readings and presentations). Info here
- 4-6 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament weigh-in. Dante’s Key West Pool Bar and Restaurant, stage
- 6 p.m. - Hemingway Look-Alike Society scholarship presentations. Info here
- 6-8 p.m. - “The Hemingway Suite” film premiere and performance. Info here
- 6:30 p.m. - Sloppy Joe’s 37th annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, first preliminary round. Info here
- 6:30-8 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament cocktail party and island-style pig roast. Dante’s Key West Pool Bar and Restaurant, upstairs
Friday, July 21
- 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament’s second day of fishing
- 4-6 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament weigh-in. Dante’s Key West Pool Bar and Restaurant, stage
- 5:30 p.m. - “The Poetry of Ernest Hemingway” at the Key West Library, 700 Fleming St. For info, email alvarado-edgardo@monroecounty-fl.gov
- 5:30 p.m. - Sloppy Joe’s birthday party for “Papa.” Celebrate Ernest’s birthday (complete with cake). Info here
- 6:30 p.m. - Sloppy Joe’s 37th annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, second preliminary round. Info here
- 6:30-8 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament dockside cocktail party and fish fry. Dante’s Key West Pool Bar and Restaurant, upstairs
- 8:30-11 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament party with the Havana Club team
Saturday, July 22
- 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament’s third day of fishing
- 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. - Caribbean Street Fair presented. Info here
- 12 p.m. - Photos with “Papas.” Hemingway look-alikes provide a photo opportunity for fans. Info here
- 1 p.m. - Running of the Bulls. Info here
- 3-5 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament weigh-in. Dante’s Key West Pool Bar and Restaurant, stage
- 3-7 p.m. - Hemingway 5k Sunset Run/Walk and Lazy Dog Paddleboard Race registration. Info here
- 6 p.m. - Lazy Dog Paddleboard Race, a 3-mile Atlantic Ocean course. Info here
- 6:30 p.m. - Key West Marlin Tournament awards banquet and silent auction. Margaritaville Key West Resort & Marina, 245 Front St.
- 6:30 p.m. - Sloppy Joe’s 37th annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, final round. Info here
- 7:30 p.m. - Hemingway 5k Sunset Run/Walk. Info here
Sunday, July 23