Nudity Is Back ‘On’ For This Year’s Fantasy Fest In Key West

The nudity discussion continues.  For this year at least, body paint is considered clothing at Fantasy Fest in Key West, in one specific area. And that area is what they call the Fantasy Zone that includes Simonton, Duval and Whitehead streets from Front Street to Truman Avenue. This is setting up to be a yearly battle, according to Keys Weekly "Mayor Teri Johnston vehemently opposed a Fantasy Zone, saying it encourages people to be nude on the city’s main street. “We host all kinds of events that are very successful that you are not nude at,” Johnston said. “I don’t know of one other community in the U.S. that would say, ‘Yes, please come into my hometown and be nude on my main street.’”

and stated that nudity is never tolerated on the streets of Key West any time of year, but added that violators typically aren't arrested. The nudity ordinance states “ from the top of the nipple down has to be covered.” So Fantasy Fest nudity is technically illegal.

There was a lot of back and forth at the meeting but it looks like this year's Fantasy Fest is going to allow body paint as clothing, but only with the 'Fantasy Zone'. For this year at least. The mayor doesn't like it, and the police chief is caught in the middle of enforcing what's on the books, and allowing people to have a good time. He stressed that the lawmakers need to fix that.

Keys Weekly reported that "Commissioner Jimmy Weekley then urged the commission to support the city’s police and code departments “and then direct the city attorney to rewrite the ordinance for next year.”

Covid really wrecked Fantasy Fest the last couple of years, it'd be nice to get it back to what it used to be. . If you're new to the area, here's a look back at Fantasy Fest over the years: