Key Lime Festival
“Because I love to do iconic shit”
When I received the text, I giggled. “This is my life? This is my life…THIS is my life…” Like trying to reason with hurricane season, I was attempting to convince myself that this was my reality. “Can you do a Swim to Shore July 4th? Regular time. We’ll have media and news outlets so be prepared. You’ll be on before the Key Lime Pie Eating Contest. We’ll call you the official mermaid of the Key Lime Festival”.
I accepted the invitation, and turned to my daughter. Still astonished, still convincing myself worthy, I said to her…”Indie, I’m officially the Key Lime Mermaid”…
“No, I’M the Key Lime Mermaid”, she says matter-of-factly, lightly touching her collar bone and rolling her eyes. And she goes back to coloring.
That was two months ago. Today marks the kickoff of the annual event, celebrating the little lime that changed the face of Key West. Pies, liquors, tasting menus, bar crawls, a newly added pageant- it’s one of the many flavors of Key West, presenting itself with a dollop of merengue. The Key Lime Pie Eating Contest is by far the biggest event of the entire festival- and I’ll be event-adjacent to it, in my tail, under the warm summer sun. All eyes on me.
The events are island-wide, the events are ever-changing.
What began as a Swim to Shore (similar to my New Moon Magic show), slowly evolved into a Pool Party due to the increased levels of sargassum seaweed on the Atlantic Side of the island. Blanketing my beach is a stinky shroud of life and death- a delicate but stark reminder of the fragility of life, washed onto the shores of South Beach, Key West. When you live in a place where every day is 87 degrees, 90% humidity, and sunny- sometimes it’s difficult to imagine life with proper seasons. But summertime? That’s Sargassum Season. Every year. Warm waters and seaweed covered beaches. Something we deal with as locals- something that the tourists can’t quite grasp as paying customers. “What do you mean you can’t do anything about it?”
So we moved the event to The Shores Pool. Adapt, Evolve, Adjust.
I carefully thought out my Festival ‘Fit Look. I wanted to have an elegant presence as the Key Lime Mermaid- so finding the perfect shade of lime was imperative. I found a gorgeous swimsuit with gilded gold details- age appropriate, kid-friendly, and fashionable as swimsuits go. It has to be functional, and it has to be proper.
It ended up being a perfect match to my Lilikoi Tail. My eye has yet to deceive me! Extra seashells for my hair, and gold clips to match the details on the suit will complete the look. A look I’m so excited for because it’s so outside my realm. Pinks and purple and blues? Absolutely- lime green? Let’s party.
As I write this, I check social media. The actual media (Fox Weather) is filming already at Southernmost Beach Resort. Excitement, nerves, all compounding. Does performing live ever get easier? No. And this is a beast of a festival. National news media. Thousands of attendees. Arguably the most famous citrus to ever exist. Iconic shit.
Love and Lemons,
Mermaid Dorian
2025 Event Schedule: Key Lime Festival
