Ernest Hemingway fans celebrate author's 125th birthday in Key West, Florida

(21 Jul 2024)

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4507413

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key West, Florida - 17 July 2024
1. Exterior of Sloppy Joe's Bar

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key West, Florida - 18 July 2024
2. First night of Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest
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3. SOUNDBITE (English) David Douglas, Hemingway Look-Alike Society:
"Ernest Hemingway is famous here. And his legacy carries on. And we support that. And we're doing good things, but the family loves us for what we're doing today versus when we first started. We got accused of being, you know, old, grey haired, pot bellied people drinking, getting drunk, falling off the street curbs. But now, you know, I've establish a mission for us. And, you know, it's just. It's hard to explain unless you experience it."
4. Contestants on stage, crowd cheers

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key West, Florida - 17 July 2024
5. Various of contestants and spectators at reception
6. Contestants posing for photo
STORYLINE:
Ernest Hemingway spent the 1930s in Key West, Florida — and more than six decades after his death, fans, scholars and relatives continue to congregate on the island city to celebrate the author’s award-winning novels and adventure-filled life.

Hemingway Days started in 1981 with a short story competition and a look-alike contest, and this year’s celebration concludes Sunday on the 125th anniversary of Hemingway’s birth on July 21, 1899.

The Hemingway Days festival started as a promotional stunt for Sloppy Joe’s Bar, one of Hemingway's favorite hangouts.

As a novelist, short-story writer and journalist, Hemingway’s spot in the pantheon of American literature is undeniable, and his legacy permeates the culture and character of Key West.

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