SeasonMapWhat's on in Key West, United States through the year
Key West, United States has 6 curated events through the year — 3 festivals, 1 holiday, 1 hazard season and 1 local rule. The ones to plan around: Hemingway Days (July) and Key West Lobsterfest (August). January, July, August and December are its peak-crowd months.
Updated September 2026 · every event curated and sourced · dates for 2026 where they are announced, the usual window where they are not
Key West events and crowds by month
January in Key West
Key West weather in January →Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States
Nothing new starts in January.
Still on: Christmas and New Year (20 Dec – 3 Jan)
February in Key West
Key West weather in February →Busy — one of its best months for weather
Nothing new starts in February.
March in Key West
Key West weather in March →Busy — Spring break in United States
Nothing new starts in March.
April in Key West
Key West weather in April →Busy — one of its best months for weather
Nothing new starts in April.
May in Key West
Key West weather in May →Shoulder season — an ordinary month
Nothing new starts in May.
June in Key West
Key West weather in June →Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it
- Hazard
Hurricane season
1 Jun – 30 NovThe island is four feet above the sea at the highest and reached by one road with forty-two bridges, so evacuation is ordered early and the Overseas Highway closes long before landfall. September is the peak. Source ↗
July in Key West
Key West weather in July →Peak crowds — Hemingway Days, Lobster mini-season
- Festival
Hemingway Days
22–26 JulMajor festivalCrowdedFive days around Hemingway's birthday: a look-alike contest at Sloppy Joe's that men enter for a decade before winning, a marlin tournament and a running of the bulls on wheels. Source ↗
- Rule
Lobster mini-season
24–31 Jul · usuallyForaging seasonCrowdedRiskThe last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, when recreational divers get two days on the spiny lobster before the commercial season opens. Every boat in the Keys is out and the reefs are genuinely crowded. Source ↗
Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)
August in Key West
Key West weather in August →Peak crowds — Key West Lobsterfest, Summer break in United States
- Festival
Key West Lobsterfest
5–9 AugMajor festivalCrowdedA street fair on Duval in the deadest week of the tourist year, which is exactly the point: cheap rooms, a lobster boil and the town to itself. Source ↗
Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)
September in Key West
Key West weather in September →Busy — Summer break in United States
Nothing new starts in September.
Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)
October in Key West
Key West weather in October →Busy — Fantasy Fest
- Festival
Fantasy Fest
16–25 OctMajor festivalCrowdedBook earlyTen days of costume parties ending in a parade down Duval, and comfortably the busiest and dearest week of the Key West year. It is adults-only in practice; book a year out or stay up the Keys. Source ↗
Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)
November in Key West
Key West weather in November →Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States
Nothing new starts in November.
Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)
December in Key West
Key West weather in December →Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
20 Dec – 3 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe start of the winter high season and the fortnight the island charges the most. New Year's Eve is marked by several competing drops on Duval rather than one, which tells you most of what you need to know. Source ↗