Key West’s Fantasy Fest mega-party is back in full this year. How nude can you get?

It’s called Fantasy Fest for a reason: Key West’s colorfully raucous mega-party is an escape from reality.

But reality crept in the last two years, when the COVID pandemic shut down the whole shebang. In 2020, Fantasy Fest was canceled entirely. Last year, the annual 10-day-long extravaganza was scaled back, morphing into a more “kinky, private affair,” with parties scattered throughout town for those in the know.

That was then and this is so now. Fantasy Fest is full on, for the first time since 2019, so be sure to take a lot of selfies and do it for the ‘Gram.

“Fantasy Fest is back to normal, or as we like to say in these parts, back to abnormal,” said Andy Newman, longtime spokesman for the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

The over-the-top affair, which includes parades, cocktails, music and (obvio) costumes galore, thanks to the festival’s theme, “Cult Classics & Cartoon Chaos,” is all systems go through Sunday.

That means you’ll see very few protective masks, unless they’re part of someone’s elaborate getup.

“We’ve learned over the years about COVID health protocols, so people can feel free to do what they feel comfortable with in terms of social distancing and other protective measures,” said Newman, adding most events are staged outdoors.

If you weren’t lucky enough to clinch hotel reservations, don’t “wing it” and drive down. Newman says there may be a few available rooms in nearby Marathon or Islamorada.

How different will Fantasy Fest be this go-around? Alyson Crean, public information officer for the Key West Police Department, thinks the vibe is a tad more mellow.

Crean cited Sunday evening’s Zombie Bike Ride as one example, saying more families attended than usual. She spotted infants strapped participants’ chests and a bunch baby carriers.

“If that’s any indication of how the week’s gonna go, that’s pretty cool,” said Crean, who put together some pointers on how to (and not to) behave while on your visit so you don’t get arrested and/or end up on YouTube.

Public nudity

Birthday suits are prohibited in Key West, according to the police department, so don;t plan on letting it all hang out.

“Male and female genitalia must not be exposed. Female breasts cannot be exposed,” says the official release. Breasts painted with body paint will only be considered as covered when in the Fantasy Zone, but know the paint cannot be applied in public, only in an enclosed area, out of the public view.

And, needless to say, “Sex acts in public are absolutely prohibited.”

Artificial or toy weapons

Leave the toy guns at home, cowboys and cowgirls.

“You’re better off not using them at all,” says the KWPD. If your costume dictates you having one, make sure it’s clearly a phony.

“Law enforcement officers will be watching for anything resembling a weapon, from water guns to artificial swords or knives,” says the agency. Replica weaponry may be confiscate. Laser pointers, too.

Backpacks and coolers

Leave the backpacks and coolers at home. Both are strongly discouraged. If you bring them, be prepared to be searched by an officer.

When are the big events?

Upcoming traditional events, which will likely be a bit more zany, start a little closer to Halloween weekend: Thursday’s 42nd annual toga party at Sloppy Joe’s Bar; Friday’s Captain Morgan Masquerade March; and of course, the famed Bud Light Fantasy Fest Parade on Saturday night, “a splendid moving party with festive floats, wild walking groups, bicycle brigades, and even human-powered kinetic machines that entertain tens of thousands of spectators.”

Check the FF guide for what suits your, um, interests. Just know that you will be more than guaranteed to at least crack a smile, which is not such a bad thing these days, said Steve Robbins, Fantasy Fest Board chair.

“From what I’ve seen so far this year, visitors seem extremely happy and the fest is really pulling out all the stops,” he said. “The full plate of activities have been restored and everyone’s looking to have a really nice time. Even though we had a little hiatus, we came back as strong as ever.”

If you go

For more general info and a schedule, go to www.fantasyfest.com. For the festival’s rules and guidelines, go to KWPD’s Facebook page.