Rides & Games

Fantasy Fest in Key West is definitely NOT for children.  Think "adult fantasy" and then fill in the blank with your imagination to guess what sort of debauchery is involved.  There are, however a couple of events that occur around the same time or within Fantasy Fest that are family friendly.  Children's Day occurs at the very end of Fantasy Fest and is a fun time for the little ones to dress in costume before the Halloween holiday.

The 33rd Annual Pompano Beach Seafood Festival not only offers the picturesque backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean at the Pompano Beach Pier but also lots and lots of delectable seafood to try.  The Pompano Beachfront has recently been refurbished and is now open to serve as a great venue for community events. The Festival will include a wide variety of live entertainment including Reggae, Contemporary Country, R & B and much more.   Kids will enjoy the “Pompano Jack’s Fun Zone”  at the south end of the boardwalk.

The 64th Annual David Deal Playday event in Fort Lauderdale consists of multiple events that usually stretch from the end of July to the first part of August.  This year's event will run from August 7th thru the 15th 2015.

When the temperature starts to rise and you feel like it's just too hot to be walking around the zoo, Safari Nights starts at the Palm Beach Zoo.  The zoo closes and then re-opens to welcome families to a fun, cooler, less sunny experience with the animals.  Friday evenings from 4:30 to 9 pm the zoo will offer discounted admission, free carousel rides and special programming.  Each Friday will offer different animal encounters, wildlife shows, live music and giveaways (like a zoo prize pack worth $150).

Breakfast with the Bunny at the Palm Beach Zoo will be held on 3 dates, 8:30am seatings on April 8th, 9th & 15th .  Admission to the event includes access to all of the wonderful exhibits and shows at the zoo for the day as well.  Enjoy a hot breakfast in the Tropics Cafe followed by an exciting EGG HUNT approximately 50 minutes after your breakfast seating.  The egg hunt is divided into age groups to make it fair for all.

The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum will be hosting a 7,000+ egg hunt on their lawns with festivities starting at 9am.  Crafts, face painting, balloon sculpting, and games will be available when the gates open at 9 until the big hunt at 10am.  The egg hunt will be held on the southest and southern lawns of the museum and be divided by age group. At 10:00am the children under age 4 will hunt for 3,000 eggs on the southeast lawn.  Look for the golden egg to win a special prize.

Come out to the beautiful Islamorada Founders Park for one of the best outdoor music festivals in the Florida Keys.  Bay Jam was started years ago as an event to promote the Arts in local schools.  Artists perform and proceeds go to benefit local students in the form of scholarships and tickets to arts perfromances ($180,000 in proceeds from events were given for art, music and dance scholarships).  Guests also bring in canned foods to get in which benefits local food banks.

The Big Pine & Lower Keys Rotary Club would like you to celebrate America's independence with them this 4th of July at their 9th Annual celebration at Big Pine Community Park.  The park can be found at mile marker 30 on the bayside at the end of Sands Road. Gates will open at 5pm to a family-friendly affair filled with food, drinks, games and activities.  Enjoy a live music performance followed by a show stopping fireworks display at nightfall.

Come and celebrate Spring as well as our wonderful Florida plants and animals at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden.  This garden is located just east of the main island of Key West on Stock Island. Migration Mania is a wonderful family-friendly event that is both fun and educational.  Help the next generation appreciate and learn about our local habitat as well as create an awareness of the birds hiding in plain view around them.

Morikami's Lantern Festival is one of the most beautiful and popular events at the Gardens.  Obon is the Japanese festival to honor ancestors who are believed to briefly visit the living. It is held in the summer time. But, wait, isn't this a FALL event at Morikami for 2018?  Yes.  This is why it is only in the "Spirit of Obon" since summers are not the most comfortable times to enjoy an outdoor festival in South Florida.