The 10 days of Fantasy Fest held at Key West, Miami ended Sunday, with many floats and parades aimed at critiquing the current political situation. Besides the serious topic of the event, many Americans, including senior citizens, had come decked in outrageous costumes (or naked) to represent their political beliefs and celebrate the bonds in American's diverse population.
Fantasy Fest was pegged to be an inclusive party, with much influence from the lands South of America, particularly the Caribbean at the Goombay Festival and parade. Many women opted to go naked and painted their breasts in elaborate designs, with some senior citizens also following suit, as a reminder of the freedom America celebrates and has strived for.
In addition, other women who painted their naked bodies did it directly as an insult to Donald Trump, who released several misogynistic statements about women recently, and is running for President of the United States. There were no age barriers as even grandmothers, accompanied by their husbands, significant others and even grandchildren took part in the body painting.
Because of the political nature of the festival, CBS Local reports that some of the parade entries include "Political Voodoo and Ballot Box Barbarians", and "Weekend at Bernie's", referring to Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders. Despite the mainly political themes of the parade, it appears Donald Trump's supporters were underrepresented at the event, with most parodies targeted against the presidential candidate.
Other political messages were on display, including the Key West's highly active LGBT community, who found acceptance on the island when America was still close minded.
Besides the Fantasy Fest, many tourists drawn to the event also visited "Bahama Village" and the island's long established US Navy Bases. Being one of the places in America where most visitors and residents are immigrants, Key West was made to look like a microcosm of America's melting pot culture, and the annual Fantasy Fest is a reminder of that, being celebrated every year and attended by all friends and family.
According to The Huffington Post, despite a lot of nudity and merrymaking, there were no reports of sexual assault or groping, nor any violent encounters, as the cops remained vigilant and tolerant, while maintaining a low profile.
The 2017 Fantasy Fest's theme is "Time Travel Unravels" and is scheduled for October 20-29, so partygoers and costumers have a lot of time to get ready.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
