Hemingway Days

Hemingway Days is a long-standing festival celebrated annually in Key West, Florida, paying tribute to the life and works of Ernest Hemingway, the eminent author who once resided there. Commencing in 1981 under the initiative of local residents, including Michael Whalton, the festival has seen substantial growth both in size and reputation, attracting globally acclaimed writers and ambitious entrants for the short story competition coordinated by Hemingway's granddaughter, Lorian.

• The 2023 edition of Hemingway Days, scheduled from July 19-22, promises a multitude of activities that include the festival's most popular event, the Hemingway Lookalike Contest, held at the Sloppy Joe Bar, a place frequented by Hemingway himself during the 1930s.
• Sporting events such as the Stock Island Marina Village Key West Marlin Tournament, the 5k Sunset Run/Walk, and Paddleboard Race honor Hemingway's active lifestyle, while the lively daylong street fair on Duval Street adds to the charm of the event.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

4 PM: Final registration for the Perry Hotel & Marina Key West Marlin Tournament, now in its 41st year. Anglers compete for $50,000 in guaranteed cash prizes for targeting marlin, spearfish, sailfish, dolphin fish, tuna and wahoo. Tournament tent at the Perry Hotel & Marina, 7005 Shrimp Road. Visit keywestmarlin.com.

5:00 PM: Meet the “Papas.” Get to know the contestants and previous winners of Sloppy Joe’s Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest. Sloppy Joe’s Bar, 201 Duval St.

6-8 PM: Key West Marlin Tournament captains meeting, reception, auction and raffle. Tournament tent at the Perry Hotel & Marina.

THURSDAY, JULY 20

8:30 AM to 4 PM: 41st annual Key West Marlin Tournament’s first day of fishing. Visit keywestmarlin.com.

4-6 PM: Key West Marlin Tournament weigh-in at the Stock Island Marina Village.

6:00 PM: Hemingway Look-Alike Society scholarship presentations. The society is to announce the winners of its annual scholarships for Florida Keys students. On stage at Sloppy Joe’s Bar.

6:30 PM: Sloppy Joe’s 42nd Annual Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest – Preliminary Round One on stage at Sloppy Joe’s. Contestants will be narrowed down to approximately 12 finalists to advance to Saturday night’s final round.

FRIDAY, JULY 21

8:30 AM to  4 PM: 41st annual Key West Marlin Tournament’s second day of fishing.

4-6 PM: Key West Marlin Tournament weigh-in at the Stock Island Marina Village.

6:30 PM: Sloppy Joe’s 42nd Annual Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest – Preliminary Round Two on stage at Sloppy Joe’s. Contestants will be narrowed down to approximately 12 finalists to advance to Saturday night’s final round.
 
SATURDAY, JULY 22

8:30 AM to  3 PM: 41st annual Key West Marlin Tournament’s final day of fishing.
 
Noon: Photos with “Papas.” Hemingway® Look-Alikes provide a photo opportunity for fans. Greene Street outside Sloppy Joe’s.

1:00 PM: Running of the Bulls. This wacky event is sponsored by Sloppy Joe’s Bar and features past “Papa” Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest winners dressed in their Pamplona best — and a breed of “bull” found only in Key West.  The fun takes place on Greene street outside Sloppy Joe’s.

3-5 PM: Key West Marlin Tournament weigh-in at Stock Island Marina Village.

3-7 PM: Hemingway 5k Sunset Run/Walk and Paddleboard Race registration. Register and pick up race packets for the popular run and paddleboard challenge. Outside Southernmost Beach Café, 1405 Duval St. $65 entry fee for run/walk;  $65 entry fee for paddleboard race. Visit keywesthalfmarathon.com.

5:30 PM: Paddleboard Race begins. Competitors follow a 3-mile Atlantic Ocean course that begins and ends at Key West’s Southernmost Beach, 1405 Duval St. Visit keywesthalfmarathon.com.

6:30 PM: Sloppy Joe’s 42n Annual Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest – FINAL ROUND to name Papa 2023.

7:30 PM: Hemingway 5k Sunset Run/Walk. Racers start at the Southernmost Point in the continental United States at Whitehead and South streets and proceed through Old Town Key West. Visit keywesthalfmarathon.com.

This is a preliminary schedule and is subject to change.

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