UM students make annual Halloween trip to Key West

Crowds congregate outside Sloppy Joe's Bar on Duval Street in Key West during Fantasy Fest on Oct. 26, 2024. Photo contributed by Melody Royaee

By Melody Royaee and Spencer Miller

UM students flocked to Key West Oct. 25 through Oct. 27 for the annual Fantasy Fest, a famed costume festival that runs for 10 days leading up to Halloween.

“It’s a rite of passage,” said Ayesha Khan, a sophomore majoring in finance and health management & policy. “You have to go at least once in your four years.”

Known to feature body paint in lieu of clothing, risqué costumes and partial nudity, Fantasy Fest is “definitely a unique experience,” said Khan. “I saw things I can’t unsee.” 

Students made the approximately 155-mile trek from Coral Gables to Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States. Most arrived midday Friday and departed early Sunday.

Celebrations took place on Duval Street, where thousands gathered in elaborate costumes and spectated the festival’s crown jewel: Saturday night’s parade.

Themed  “It’s a neon 90s cosmic carnival!” this year’s parade featured dozens of motorized floats and marchers wearing glittering capes and headdresses.

Students dressed for the occasion, having come equipped with two or three Halloween costumes. Those aged 21 or older bar-hopped on Duval Street, visiting Flying Monkeys, Fat Tuesday and Rick’s among other bars and clubs for dancing and the infamous Key West daiquiri.

Other festivities included the ‘Zombie Bike Ride’ on Sunday, Oct. 20, where participants dressed as the “bicycling dead” cruised along the shoreline into Old Town. Silver-suited spacemen paraded on other nights, joined by guests decked out in creative costumes.

Apart from rowdy nighttime festivities, Key West gave students the opportunity to relax, unwind and enjoy “a much-needed break from academics,” Khan said. 

Students visited beaches, museums and shops and explored the island, especially during the day on Saturday, Oct. 26.

“We checked out some really good restaurants. There was one called Blue Heaven, which had a bunch of roosters walking around while we were eating—that was cool. We went to the beach and listened to some good bands playing live music. It was a good time,” said first-time visitor to Key West Zach Kaplan, a sophomore majoring in accounting and finance.

When asked whether he would recommend Key West to fellow UM students, Kaplan said, “Oh, 100%. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Spending ‘Halloweekend’ in Key West is one of several trips that UM students take en masse. Other travel traditions include senior fall break in Las Vegas, senior spring break in Nashville, Gasparilla Pirate Fest in Tampa each January and trips to Tallahassee or Gainesville each time Miami Football plays one of its in-state rivals on rival turf.

Students tend to join in on these trips whenever financially and logistically feasible. Exploring a new city while also having the opportunity to mingle with friends and acquaintances from classes, clubs and other university involvements is certainly a unique experience. 

“Miami is a work hard, play hard school. People come here because they care about their academics but also about being young and fun and living in the moment,” said Samantha Gross, a sophomore majoring in Psychology. “And why not let loose on weekends?”