KEY WEST DRAG RACE FEATURES HIGH-HEELED HIJINKS

St. Leo University in Key West offers psychology degree

Event Highlights Conch Republic Independence Celebration

Activities including a lighthearted sea battle featuring tall ships, a parade dubbed the world’s longest and a “drag” race for female impersonators await Key West fans April 21-30 during the 41st annual Conch Republic Days celebration.

The offbeat 10-day festival commemorates the Florida Keys’ symbolic secession from the United States and reinvention as the independent Conch Republic.

The republic, whose motto is “We seceded where others failed,” was born following a 1982 U.S. Border Patrol blockade of the island chain. In protest, citizens organized the secession, declared war on the mother country, surrendered 60 seconds later and demanded $1 billion in foreign aid. The anniversary of the secession is marked each year with a roster of irreverent events.

The 2023 schedule includes the Great Conch Republic Drag Race Saturday, April 22, in the 700 block of Duval Street. The challenge typically stars drag queens and intrepid men in dresses, wigs and makeup who sprint down the pavement in startlingly high heels.

The secession’s anniversary Sunday, April 23, features a noontime reenactment of the historic act at 401 Wall St. beside Mallory Square, the site of the original rebellion. Many of the Conch Republic’s founders including Key West’s former mayor, Dennis Wardlow, will re-create the 1982 ceremony that marked the renowned republic’s birth.

Thursday, April 27, brings the World’s Longest Parade. Stepping off at 8 p.m. on Duval Street, the procession is so named because it begins at the Atlantic Ocean and proceeds down the length of Duval to the Gulf of Mexico.

The action moves to Key West Harbor at 7 p.m. Friday for the Great Sea Battle of the Conch Republic, featuring weapons ranging from water cannons to flying Cuban bread. Noncombatants can view the seafaring spectacle from Mallory Square and harborfront resorts, restaurants and bars.

Landlubbers will vie for victory Saturday, April 29, during a charity race featuring “strange bedfellows” piloting decorated beds on wheels along Duval Street.

Other festival attractions include daily tall ship and catamaran sails, a pirates ball and other parties, a wearable art fashion show, artisan extravaganzas and a sailing race that recalls the Florida Keys’ colorful maritime heritage.

Finally, all Conch Republic friends and fans are invited to view Race World Offshore’s inaugural 7 Mile Offshore Grand Prix, a powerboat race beside the historic Seven Mile Bridge in the Middle Keys. Racing is set for Sunday, April 30, with events to culminate in the presentation of the Conch Republic Cup. VIP spectator tickets are available at raceworldoffshore.com.

Merrymakers will gather in Key West for a playful parody of auto racing, with entrants swapping high-speed cars for high-heeled shoes and female drag “ah-tire” while dashing along an improvised racetrack on Saturday, April 22.

The annual Conch Republic Drag Race is to take place in the 700 block of famed Duval Street, home to the island’s vibrant LGBTQ entertainment district.

Presented by the Petronia Street Neighborhood Association and under the direction of the Bourbon Street Pub staff, the zany race will “clock in” with registration at 2:30 p.m. and trials at 3 p.m. followed by qualifying heats and finals.

Traditional auto racing is spoofed throughout the lighthearted event, with gregarious organizers posing as “pit crew” while waving checkered flags and a local DJ improvising the roar of revving engines.

The event’s “dragsters” — sporting lavish lipstick, extravagant wigs and race-mandated high-heeled footwear — entertain audiences while attempting to outpace their rivals. Racers must navigate various hazards on the “track” including an obstacle course of tires and other wipeout-worthy perils as spectators cheer on their favorites.

Race registration is free for all contestants willing to don the required towering heels and dresses or other female finery.

The drag challenge is part of Key West’s 41st annual Conch Republic Days celebration. Scheduled April 21-30, the festival commemorates the Florida Keys’ symbolic 1982 secession from the United States and formation of the independent republic.

Among its highlights are a reenactment of the secession, the so-called “World’s Longest Parade” that proceeds along Duval Street from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, a lighthearted sea battle featuring tall ships and a wearable art fashion show.

— Contributed