Posts tagged "Independence"

Conch Republic Bloody Battle!

Well all I have to say about this is you get an A for effort Bloody Battle People whoever you are.

But I have to admit that after all the buildup I’d heard about this event, I was expecting something that didn’t exactly land on the ground and just lie there twitching. Apparently the powers-that-be banned the use of tomatoes and bread in the fray, leaving a rather unimpressive and half-hearted battle. The toilet paper rolls streaming out of the planes overhead were a nice touch I thought, and were by far the more entertaining of the battles high points. But seriously, what’s a Conch Republic revolution without the throwing of the loaf of Cuban bread? I mean, COME ON!

I have nothing to base a comparison on, but friends who have seen this event (and even participated) in previous years, tell me that it’s nothing like it used to be, and some even suggested that the Conch Republic secede all over again so we can derail the power-hungry elite who robbed this event of it’s color and zest! Hey, who am I to stand in the way of revolution.. bring it on!

That being said, we had a good time watching the battle despite it’s lackluster performance, and we followed the crowd to Schooner Wharf afterwards for the official surrender on stage.

Here’s a few photos for your perusal..

BloodyBattle2010 (12 photos)
23 April 2010

Note: To see the pictures in the original Picasa album, click here

The 28th Annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration is Underway!

I was out of town last weekend when this whole celebration kicked off with the Drag Queen Races on Duval on Saturday, so I missed all of that madness, but there’s no way I’m going to miss the upcoming events this weekend!

Friday starts off at 5:30 at Mallory Square with a Giant 7-foot Key Lime Pie. Then at 6:00 everyone gathers on Sunset Pier for the Bloody Battle Non-Combative Shore-Side Viewing Party. At 7:00 comes the main event; The Conch Republic Naval Parade & Great Battle for the Conch Republic Reenactment in Historic Key West Harbor, followed by the Victory Party at Schooner Wharf Bar. Definitely sounds like a promising Friday night in Key West!

Saturday is the The Conch Republic Craft Show and Food Fest, the Conch Crawl, and the 28th Annual Red Ribbon Bed Race down Duval St followed by The Conch Republic Fiddler’s Contest at Green Parrot Bar. The day’s events wind up with the Pirates Ball and Pig Roast back at Schooner Wharf.

Phew! How is it possible to cram all of that into a day and a half? Well, I’m going to find out. Stay tuned for a special report!

If you’re interested in the full list of events, you can find it here at the Conch Republic Website, along with a lot of other cool Conch Republic Stuff. Don’t forget to get your Conch Republic Passport!