Kate Langenburg/A&E Groove
Ernest Hemingway, one of the great classic writers of our time, was known for living in the Florida Keys. Many of his books take on a tropical sunshine setting as a kind of great homage to his home.
This past week, the wonderful sunny folks living in Key West had their turn to pay homage to the famous writer. They celebrated their 29th annual Hemingway Days festivities from July 21-26. Today was the last day of the activities.
Hemingway Days included so many fun events, including the “Papa” Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, a Key West Marlin Tournament, and a crazy “Running of the Bulls,” held by Sloppy Joe’s Bar. There were many more activites on top of all that — you can read a list of everything at the schedule of events website.
Watch a video of last year’s look-alike contest here.
Many of the events were held at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, the most famous tribute restaurant and bar to Hemingway himself. In fact, their logo is a picture of the great American writer. They even had a Hemingway arm wrestling tournament today at noon. What fun!
Another interesting thing about Key West is that it has made Ernest Hemingway’s former home into a museum dedicated to his life and works. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum provides guided tours to vacationers to the area. Of course, the tours were a big part of the Hemingway Days activities, as well.
A cool little tidbit about the property is that it is now home to over sixty cats, half of which are polydactyl, which means they have extra toes. According to the museum website, Ernest Hemingway was given a six-toed cat by a ship’s captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat.
Perhaps this event will spark your interest next July for the 30th annual Hemingway Days events and activities. Really, what other writers can you think of that inspire such festivities?
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