After last year’s play on unicorns and uniforms, Key West’s Fantasy Fest is returning with a “90s Neon Cosmic Carnival” that offers a decade’s worth of cultural and musical references with neon colors plus cosmic and carnival revelry.
The event runs from Oct. 18-27. Find out more at FantasyFest.com.
Across the island, participants, event organizers, and creatives looking to make a splashy entrance dissected the theme.
Drag bingo host, Q-mitch, is used to creating head-turning looks for his weekly appearances. This year, he was considering tributes to television. “Frasier” and “Friends” are in the running for him, especially as he attended a live taping of the latter. “Frasier,” Q-mitch mused, could offer a technical ease with an armful of “old clothes” or someone dressed as a chair.
A child of the ‘90s, Jack McDonald was similarly leaning towards TV programming that he caught around dinner time and the early morning. Cartoons like “The Ren & Stimpy Show” and “Rocko’s Modern Life” inspired him to pursue less mainstream art forms in his role as an artist.
Christina Crooks, an organizer of the Kinky Carnival, on the other hand, is looking forward to hearing and seeing interpretations of ‘90s music with fun and upbeat dance floor hits, including her favorite, “Baby Got Back.” She expects the diversity and inclusive atmosphere from the decade to become a main part of the festival.
Also returning to the sounds of that time is DJ El Grace, who listened to everything from Deee-Lite to Janet Jackson, Spice Girls, Mariah Carey, and Haddaway. Throughout the festival, she plans on playing “Lisa Frank Flare” — sounds that invoke colorful and bright feelings with a nod to a cosmic carnival vibe.
Another DJ, DJ Jevne, is drawing off the original rave scenes in the ‘90s, a period he described as a magical time that was all about hearing new underground music with like-minded kids. He is planning a "Space Rave" for Luv2Glow upstairs Rick's that he co-produces. He does not use the word "rave" lightly and believes his event in combination with its theme will deliver all the vibes.
Theresa Chiechi’s striking Silent Hill homage last year would still be relevant given the horror game’s 1999 release. But the artist is not one for repetition. While she is toying with a nod to the cult film “Trick ‘r Treat,” Chiechi might just reference the moving carousel featured on this year’s official festival poster, which she designed.
Lastly, college student Nina Bowen is moving past the noise and crowds she once associated with the weeklong events, especially as an adolescent on her way to team practices. Years later, after working at her family’s downtown bakery, Bowen started looking forward to the customers’ costumes. She is most excited about the carnival and ‘90s themes that should be prevalent. While she does not have any set ideas, a carousel or Ferris wheel reference might make an appearance.
RELATED
