Happening Throughout the Event:
Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition. The competition started in 1981 and has awarded over $70,000 to writers of merit. More information may be found at www.shortstorycompetition.com.
Daily Tours of the Hemingway Home & Museum at 907 Whitehead Street. Visit https://www.hemingwayhome.com for more information.
July 23-26, 2025, the Key West Marlin Tournament, offering cash prizes for top catches of marlin and other fish, attracts up to 75 registered boats and their crews. The tournament, held Wednesday through Saturday during the annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, is a world-class fishing event hosted at the Perry Hotel and Marina in the Lower Keys. More information is available at www.keywestmarlin.com.
Schedule:
9:00 -10:00 a.m.: “Coffee and Donuts with the Papas.” Meet the contestants and previous winners of the “Papa” Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest. Location to be determined.
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.: “A Hemingway Feast” at the Key West Cooking School, 291 Front St. upstairs. Savor traditional Key West dishes from Papa’s era — and learn to prepare them — during an entertaining, interactive experience at the island’s newest attraction for foodies. The learn-and-dine adventure even features “grits-n-grunts,” mentioned in Hemingway’s Key West novel “To Have and Have Not.” Advance booking required; visit keywestcookingschool.com and use the code “PAPA10” for a $10 discount (valid only for the 11 a.m. event on July 24).
At 5:00 p.m., Round One check-in contestants must check in at the registration table to pick up their name tags and event shirts.
5:30 pm: Introduction “Welcome” to the Contest by David Douglas & Jeff Allen.
6:10 pm: Hemingway Look-Alike Society Scholarship Presentations. The society will announce the winners of its annual scholarships for The College of the Florida Keys students on stage at Sloppy Joe’s Bar.
6:30 pm: Sloppy Joe’s 44th Annual Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest – Preliminary Round One on stage at Sloppy Joe’s. Contestants will be narrowed down to approximately 12 finalists to advance to Saturday night’s final round. (Live Auction benefiting the HLAS Scholarship Fund immediately following preliminary round-one while awaiting results) View Contest Results
