You can always count on visitors and residents to have an opinion on the themes of Fantasy Fest.

Certain feelings resurface regularly. Some want width to throw a net as wide as possible and bring a lot of it into the lap. Others gravitate towards specificity in the hope of less generic, more focused costumes and events. The themes of time and period are accessible but risk becoming repetitive if they are not shifted. While the occasional outnumbered 2010’s “Habitat for Insanity” relying on crowds willing to devote considerable amounts of resources and creativity.

Ahead of the 2022 reveal, a number of local revelers suggested a host of ideas for new themes, events and main floats that could inspire the festivities in the years to come. Here are seven of those possibilities:

“The Golden Girls”

Party animal: Emily Berg (Manager at Books & Books)

Years of celebration of the Fantasy Fest: Nine

Theme: Working with books my first thought was a literary theme. If I’m being honest, what I’d really like to see is something that brings all the components of Fantasy Fest together: Florida, retirees, and elaborate outfits – “The Golden Girls”.

As a kid, the ABC TV show about four mature women living together in Miami completely shaped what I thought life in Florida would be. I would come to learn that life in the Keys is different from life in mainland Florida and life on an ’80s sitcom. Although the need for roommates in their fifties turned out to be quite relevant.

Disguises: The costumes wouldn’t be as different as you might expect. Body painting would still be appropriate, with the addition of shoulder pads and wicker handbags.

Events: The events are where a Golden Girls Fantasy Fest would really shine. Cheesecake Tasting Contest, Sophia’s Red Sauce Party, Dorothy’s Sarcastic Bar Crawl, Blanche’s Kinky Party and Rose’s St. Olaf Big Boob Bonanza at Dante’s. There is also the potential for spinoff parties: The Empty Nest Tutu Party and The Golden Palace Bike Ride. The possibilities are limitless!

Main float: The marquee float would be designed to look like a veranda [a roofed porch] with judicious furniture for lounging. The most important element would be to make sure that Betty White, the last surviving Golden Girl, could be present to serve as Grand Marshal. She is currently 99 years old, so we have to act quickly!

Miss Fantasy Fest World

Party animal: QMitch Jones (airport attendant and drag queen)

Years of celebration of the Fantasy Fest: Unknown

Theme: I celebrated Fantasy Fest before I knew there was a Fantasy Fest. I live in a Fantasy Fest world. Miss Fantasy Fest World – like the costumes for the Parade of Nations of the Miss Universe pageant. Every night we celebrate a different country for the 10 nights leading up to Fantasy Fest. Then on the last night everyone wears their best or favorite (costume).

Main float: A mixture of the world.

Under the sea

Party animal: Fran Decker (artist)

Years of celebration of the Fantasy Fest: 32

Theme: Under the sea. Mermaids, newts, sea creatures, Neptune and Ariel, sea snakes, krakens, pirate fish, treasure, Davy Jones’s Locker, coral reefs, wrecks and global warming – Key West underwater. Inspired by my diving to hang a huge flag on the Vandenberg for the 20th anniversary of September 11th. I have been scuba diving for 43 years. Diving is the closest I can ever be to another planet.

Main float: Blue and green with decorations of sea creatures and characters in interesting themed costumes.

City of Toon in Key West

Party animal: Christina Crooks (office manager)

Years of celebration of the Fantasy Fest: Nine

Theme: Key West Toon Town offers a wide variety of costumes and events. Plus, everyone loves cartoons. A multitude of costumes between role play and animated characters. Lots of cartoon-themed parties from different decades. An example of a party could be the cartoons of the 1960s or the Flintstones in Key West.

Main float: Stone gun car or stone house. A spaceship for the Jetsons.

A prom

Party animal: Kristen Norman (small business owner)

Years of celebration of the Fantasy Fest: 11

Theme: Sixteen candles end of year ball. Everyone should have a prom! “Sixteen Candles” is a classic high school ballroom romantic comedy (1984). We should all be lucky enough to fall in love with a Jake Ryan or a Molly Ringwald. Unfortunately, most people don’t get a “Sixteen Candles” prom experience, so this could be a cover. Fantasy Fest is fun, light, and all about love.

Disguises: Formal attire. Fun tricks on prom outfits or ballroom costumes based on ballroom movies. Different parties might have different prom themes.

Something new: A ball of dreams of a summer night at the amphitheater.

Main float: “Sixteen candles” ball. Balloons, streamers, lights, DJs, bring Molly Ringwald down – in fact, bring down the whole cast.

A celebration of art and artists

Party animal: John Tishok (Reclaimer Now DJ)

Theme: I would love to see Fantasy Fest, a celebration of art and artists. Events would be art-centric – costume parties with art and artist themes, creative floats, music, portrait painters, body painters, Key West scenes, erotic art, dance of all kinds, fire spinners and acrobats. . Intrinsic change would occur because our local artists and creatives

Mirror balls

would be motivated to get involved more than they have done in recent years.

Floats: The tanks would be judged on creativity, visual and sound impact. Frankly, I would orient myself towards the type of vehicles, big and small, that show up at Burning Man. They are called Art Cars. They can be anything, spaceships, creatures, sailboats – but they all have amazing lights and sound systems.

Events: There could be a continuum of events from low-brow to high-brow. Think body painting on one side and costume parties in a venue filled with upscale art a la Art Basel.

Key West through time

Party animal: Heather-May Sloan (ghost hunt)

Years of celebration of the Fantasy Fest: ten

Theme: Key West through time. People can get attached to Key West’s imaginary future and make wild futuristic costumes. We can dress and represent a variety of people, eras and aspects of real Key West history. He’s organically linked to pirates, ghosts, and even steampunk, so there are plenty of costume options out there. Plus, it might inspire visitors to dig a little deeper into the culture of Key West and appreciate it more than just a vacation spot on an island.

Main float: A boat or train to represent the Flagler Railway. ??