Visitors can join Key West residents to celebrate the island’s unique LGBTQ community – and boogie like it’s the 1970s disco era – during Key West Pride 2024, scheduled Wednesday through Sunday, June 5-9.
Presented by the Key West Business Guild and featuring a retro disco theme, Pride salutes the all-inclusive “One Human Family” mindset of the subtropical island internationally known as a top LGBTQ vacation spot.
Attractions include late-night dance parties, daytime and sunset sailing excursions, films and drag performances, a disco bar crawl for costumed participants and Pride’s traditional street fair – but with a colorful new twist.
Key West Pride 2024 begins Wednesday, June 5, with a lunch recalling the ’70s disco days and contributions that decade’s residents made to gay Key West. A kickoff party, designed to transport attendees back in time to revisit disco-era delights, is set for 5:30 pm. at the Hard Rock Café, 313 Duval St.
Highlights Thursday, June 6, include a “Tea on the Sea” sunset sail and floating tea dance staged by Fury Water Adventures. Later at the Key West Local Bartender Competition, sponsored by Stoli, cocktail connoisseurs can support their favorite mixologists’ skills. The spirited event starts at 9 p.m. at the Bourbon St. Pub, 724 Duval St.
The following day is packed with activities including a brunch sail on the Argo Navis catamaran. Options that evening are the “We Love Our Allies Pride Party” at 22&Co, 504 Angela St.; “I Feel Love: A Queer Disco Revue” at La Te Da, 1125 Duval St.; and a retro disco-themed party and ’70s costume competition at Mangoes, 700 Duval St., that’s not to be missed.
Among Saturday’s attractions is the Pride “We Are Family” Street Fair & Dance Party. Featuring live entertainment and dance music, the fun begins at 4 p.m. in the 700, 800 and 900 blocks of Key West’s famed Duval Street. The party in the street will include food and libation offerings.
The final-day schedule Sunday, June 9, features the all-welcome Pride Parade that kicks off at 5 p.m. The parade will proceed along a route that includes most of Duval Street, showcasing a 100-foot section of Key West’s famed 1.25-mile-long sea-to-sea rainbow flag, created in 2003 by the late Gilbert Baker.
Participants and spectators can conclude their Pride celebrations at La Te Da’s traditional evening Tea Dance.More event information, tickets and a complete schedule are at gaykeywestfl.com/pride/.
