Key West Real Estate: Celebrate the Keys’ Natural Beauty with Outdoor Fest

From Key Largo down to Key West, the Florida Keys have an amazing and varied natural landscape. Those who live here understand that much of what draws people here are the natural wonders that cannot be found anywhere else. To help protect our diverse ecosystems, several national wildlife refuges have been established along the Keys. These are incredible places to explore for some time to get back to nature. The Florida Keys are also known for their spectacular festivals. If you have something to celebrate, or a passion for something about the Keys, chances are there is a festival for it, too. This year marks the merging of our natural wonders and festival celebrations with the inaugural Outdoor Fest, coming March 17^th- 20^th.

This will be an action-packed long weekend full of different ways to explore our wildlife refuges and celebrate the great outdoors. There will be events happening each day at different locations, many of them free to attend. This is a great chance to discover, or reunite yourself with the unique and rare habitats, plants, and animals of the Florida Keys. Outdoor Fest is being put on by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges and the Friends & Volunteers of Refuges, known as FAVOR. These organizations have events planned at the following refuges: Crocodile Lake, Great White Heron, Key Deer Refuge, and Key West Refuge. From guided walks to kayak excursions, art and photography workshops, activities for kids, and the Big Pine Key Run with Deer 5k race, there is sure to be something for everyone.

Outdoor Fest will begin on Thursday, March 17 with a series of excursions throughout the day, including a free guided bird walk along the wetlands in the National Key Deer Refuge and kayak tours of Crocodile Lake and Great White Heron Refuges. There will also be an open house celebration on Big Pine Key at the National Key Deer Refuge.

Some highlights for Friday’s events include a Lower Keys geocaching adventure, walking tours at Crocodile Lake, a chance to see the rare Key deer in their natural habitat, and an incredible nighttime astronomy program in the Lower Keys. Saturday the 19^th will be big fun with the second annual Run with the Deer on Big Pine Key. Following the race, there will be an Outdoor Fair from 10:00am - 2:00pm which will include a variety of nature based activities, crafts, and workshops. The kids will have a blast at the Family Wildlife Fair on Saturday as well, held at Crocodile Lake.

Outdoor Fest will wrap up on Sunday, March 20^th with a variety of excursions focused on birding, kayaking, sailing, and snorkeling within the Key West National Wildlife Refuge. If this weren’t enough, there will also be additional actives at the wildlife refuges before and after Outdoor Fest, included what is sure to be an awe-inspiring full moon kayak excursion on Monday, March 21^st at Big Pine Key. While many of the Outdoor Fest events are free, some require payment and registration, their websites contain a complete list of all activities and any costs that apply.

If you are visitor here, this is an ideal to really get a feel for what the Keys are all about. If you live here, Outdoor Fest is a great chance to reconnect with our natural wonders once again. If you’re ready to sell or buy a home in the Key West area, please contact me, Jimmy Lane, for all of your real estate needs.