Key Colony Beach Day March 1 Celebrates 69th Anniversary Near City Hall

Ted Fischer, president of the Key Colony Beach Community Association, said “It’s going to be a great day,” as Key Colony Beach Day celebrated the city's 69th anniversary of incorporation near Key Colony Beach City Hall at 600 W. Ocean Dr. on Sunday, March 1, 2026. The community event, presented by KCBCA, opened at 9 a.m. and featured a full day of vendors, food trucks, live music and the signature Barracuda Races.

The parade began at 11 a.m., led by grand marshal Jim Figuerado, with line-up starting at 10:30 a.m. Vehicles staged at the 15th Street circle and walkers and bikers were held at Sunset Park before the procession moved from 15th Street to 1st Street. Local businesses and organizations registered for parade participation through Larry Smoot at moboatin24@gmail.com.

Live music filled the afternoon, with KeysWeekly reporting sets from 1 to 5 p.m. The program opened with a performance billed as "Elvis," followed by a Rick Lieder Band set at 3 p.m. VisitFlorida’s event listing also promoted live music but listed the overall event hours as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., a different end time than the local schedule published by KeysWeekly.

The Barracuda Races remained the day's quirky draw. KeysWeekly described the attraction as a classic booth where attendees bet cash on pilchards racing a watery course every few minutes; the paper acknowledged, "OK, we’ll admit, they’re not really barracudas." VisitFlorida called them "world‑famous barracuda races," and the races were offered alongside arts and crafts booths and waterfront food options.

Fundraising at the event included a 50/50 raffle with morning and afternoon drawings and a silent auction benefiting the Dolphin Research Institute. VisitFlorida listed free admission and free parking for the March 1 celebration, and the event page displayed promotional imagery of beaches, boats and Keys scenery that framed the waterfront setting for the day.

Key Colony Beach Day also served as a civic reminder: the city was incorporated following a unanimous vote on September 24, 1957, after state legislation in June 1957 enabled incorporation. The municipality, founded as Shelter Key in the early 1950s and known as the "Gem of the Florida Keys," later received its own federal rebuilding grant after Hurricane Donna in 1960. The March 1 observance continued that history of local self-governance and community fundraising.

At the event close, Fischer offered thanks to supporters: “Thank you to all of our sponsors who made this happen.” The day combined civic commemoration, live entertainment and grassroots fundraising in the compact city that sits at 24°43′22″N, 81°01′17″W.