WHEN Ernest Hemingway lived in Key West during the 1930s, he penned now-classic works including For Whom the Bell Tolls and fished for giant billfish in Florida Keys waters.
The 39th annual Hemingway Days festivities from July 16-21 include a look-alike contest for aspiring "Ernests" prose and poetry readings, the quirky "Running of the Bulls," symposium presentations on Hemingway and his influence, a street fair on the island avenues he walked and a three-day marlin tournament that salutes his passion for angling.
Approximately 125 burly, bearded men are due to compete in the annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe's Bar, a frequent Key West hangout for the legendary writer.
The look-alikes also star in activities including Saturday's "Running of the Bulls" spoof and an event saluting the 120th anniversary of Hemingway's July 21 birth.
The Hemingway Days schedule also features the Stock Island Marina Village Key West Marlin Tournament, the five-kilometre Sunset Run/Walk and Paddleboard Race, a lively daylong street fair on Key West's Duval Street and Sloppy Joe's annual Arm Wrestling Championship.
