FIRST-EVER PIGEON KEY HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR, SANTACON ARE MASSIVE WINS FOR MARATHON

By
Alex Rickert
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a group of people standing around a bar
Drinks flowed and the race was on for Santa, the Grinch and an army of reindeer and elves to complete the best poker hand in the inaugural 7 Mile SantaCon on Dec. 14. Entry to the event included a complimentary holiday-themed cocktail and card pull at four local bars before the Santas boarded the Pigeon Key Express to join the Holiday Spectacular and complete their hands for a final showdown.

It took just one weekend for Marathon to add two icons of the holidays in the Middle Keys for the foreseeable future, as the Pigeon Key Holiday Spectacular and 7 Mile SantaCon earned a resounding response from locals and visitors alike on Dec. 14.

A Friday night dinner under the lights welcomed sponsors and dignitaries to a fully-bedazzled Pigeon Key, completely transformed into a holiday village for Saturday’s Spectacular with giant Santas, “snow” and glowing lights on just about everything above ground.

“This is just the beginning,” said executive director Kelly McKinnon. “It’s just going to get bigger and better every year.”

A throng of “big kids” in Santa hats on Saturday made their way to Keys Fisheries, Lighthouse Kitchen & Bar, Lazy Days South and Sunset Grille for the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce’s 7 Mile SantaCon, indulging in holiday cocktails before boarding the Polar Express and joining the family-friendly sold-out celebration on Pigeon Key.

Pigeon Key Holiday Spectacular photos by Doug Finger.

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a man standing in front of a house holding a microphone
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SantaCon photos by Doug Finger and Photo Design by Natalie.

a man in a santa suit is standing in front of a building
a group of people standing next to each other
a group of people dressed up as santa claus
a man and a woman standing in front of a bar
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a group of people standing around a pool
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a group of people dressed up in santa costumes
a group of people standing next to each other
a group of women standing next to each other
a group of people dressed as santa clause on a pier
a group of people standing around a table

Alex Rickert
Alex Rickert
Alex Rickert made the perfectly natural career progression from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor in 2021 after freelancing for Keys Weekly while working full time at Dolphin Research Center. A resident of Marathon since 2015, he fell in love with the Florida Keys community by helping multiple organizations and friends rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma. An avid runner, actor, and spearfisherman, he spends as much of his time outside of work on or under the sea having civil disagreements with sharks.

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