Hemingway Look-Alike Contest: Celebrating the Legend's 125th Birthday!

Do you look like Ernest Hemingway? Join the fun in Key West from July 18-21 for the 43rd annual Hemingway® Look-Alike Contest and celebrate the 125th anniversary of the legendary author's birth with up to 150 “Ernest” contenders and their fans! While residing in Key West, Hemingway penned literary classics such as “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” and “To Have and Have Not,” a novel primarily set in the island city.

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Are you ready for the ultimate island city challenge? Dive into the Hemingway Days celebration on July 16-21, where you can show off your best look-alike skills! Join us at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, 201 Duval St., the spot where Hemingway savored cocktails and good times with pals. Participants from all corners of the U.S. and beyond gather to compete for the look-alike crown! Many return year after year with their own cheering squads, aspiring to embody the iconic "Papa" persona and emulate Hemingway's appearance in his later years.

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Get ready for the preliminary rounds at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, July 18 and 19! The finals are set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 20. Hemingway hopefuls will be judged by past contest winners, including 2023’s Gerrit Marshall from Madison, Wisconsin. Get ready for Sloppy Joe’s “Running of the Bulls” - inspired by the iconic event in Pamplona, Spain, but with a twist: man-made bulls on wheels! Don't miss the "Papa-razzi" photo op at noon, then the fun starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday on Greene Street outside Sloppy Joe’s!

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The bearded brethren are gearing up for a lively Sunday at Sloppy Joe’s to celebrate Papa's Birthday Bash, marking Hemingway's 125th anniversary on July 21. Festivities kick off at 9 a.m. with chances to snap pics with the brand-new "Papa 2024," and wrap up with a themed birthday cake at noon!

Is there a better way to welcome contestants and their fans than with a Wednesday evening party? And how cool is it that the Hemingway Look-Alike Society gives out scholarships to Florida Keys students on Thursday evenings? Since 2000, this scholarship program has been making a difference, all thanks to the fundraising efforts of the “Papas” and their crew!

Find out more about this exciting event at keywestlookalikes.com and hemingwaydays.net.