By Carol Tedesco
The 2023 Bud Light Fantasy Fest parade is set to roll down Duval Street on Saturday, Oct. 28. Daniel Bitnar and Virginia Wark are longtime friends whose individual creative costuming ingenuity over the years has made them crowd and media favorites in the parade, Masquerade March, Headdress Ball and dozens of other events. Keys Weekly caught up with them to get some sneak-preview, behind-the-scenes insights into the methods behind their magnificence.
You are each renowned for your parade prowess. Have you ever marched or rolled on the same team?
Daniel: Yes, 10 years ago I designed an archangel team. I was Archangel Michael and Virginia was a devil. Our team of four won “Best Walking Group” that year.
Do you have an outline or plan of action that you follow?
Virginia: Hell no! I tried that once and it was a disaster. My method is pretty spontaneous. I start by collecting things and eventually the bits and bobs inspire the creation. It’s like, “No, that won’t work; that won’t work, oh yes – THAT’S going to work!”
Daniel: Absolutely. I’m a planner. My background is as a designer, and so my first step is research. Once the next year’s theme is announced, I’ll spend a month or two just deciding what my team’s costumes will be and how to go about interpreting and building them. Next I begin collecting materials, and then I start putting it all together. In the past I made all my team’s costumes myself, but I’ve had three surgeries since Christmas 2022, and for a while I didn’t know if I was going to live or die. In March, our friend Gary came to town and helped organize a team building approach, with me supervising and building the costume wings, and the rest of our group helping assemble all the rest.
Were either of you involved in costuming before coming to Key West?
Daniel: Yes. It started for me at age 17 when I was invited to a costume disco party. I had never done makeup before in my life; my mother told me to help myself to hers. I wanted something that was an opaque white and she didn’t have anything like that, but then I remembered I had acne cream (I was 17, after all). I used that as my foundation, and when I looked in the mirror I didn’t recognize myself. I won first prize, and that contest actually launched me into professional work as a makeup artist.
What are some of your must-have materials for costume and float making?
Daniel: Garbage/recycling, fabric, paper/cardboard, glue gun, sewing machine and shiny stuff that catches the light.
Virginia: I use Goop to glue; a drill and screws for both construction and decoration; scraps of plywood for framing, although I’ve also had luck with cardboard, like TV or large appliance boxes; paint, latex and spray; and any junk that will go with the theme. My trike is my foundation, so weight is a factor. It all has to make it from my house in midtown, to Truman Annex, through the parade route, and then back home.
Daniel: Whenever I think of Gorilla Glue I think of you, Virginia.
Virginia: Actually I use Goop. And caulk.
Daniel: You used to use Gorilla Glue.
Virginia: No, it’s always been Goop and caulk.
What’s your number-one motivation for participating in Fantasy Fest?
Daniel: For me the biggest reward is that, “Ah! Wow, how did you make that?!” gasp of appreciation when someone first sees my creations, and knowing you’re bringing them joy.
Virginia: It’s a huge celebration and once you’ve been in it, it’s just such fun. So many other parades are about spectating. If you go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, spectators are standing on the sidelines dressed in regular clothes, being a regular person. But here, you see somebody in the crowd and they’re in a cool costume. They’re not just spectators; they’re also participating in it. And other people get inspired and say, “Hey – I can do that!”
More information, including a full calendar, schedule updates and a downloadable mobile app are at fantasyfest.com.
