Key West Festival Honors Hemingway's Writing and Colorful Lifestyle

Key West hosts a festival honoring Ernest Hemingway’s writing and his colorful lifestyle, scheduled July 21–26, 2026. The opening night at Williams Hall (729 Fleming St.) begins at 6 p.m. on July 21 with the announcement and reading of the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition winning entry, which carries a $2,500 prize. The program also includes screenings of The Beard Also Rises and a trailer for Beards Go to Cuba, and highlights the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, 201 Duval St. The festival coincides with Hemingway’s 127th birth anniversary and features museum days at the Key West Museum of Art and History at the Custom House.