Key Lime Festival 2027: Dates (Jul 1 to 5) and Fares

When is Key Lime Festival 2027?

Key Lime Festival 2027 is expected to run July 1 to 5, 2027. The dates follow the usual pattern and are not announced yet.

2027July 1 to 5, 2027Expected

How the dates are set: Held around the Fourth of July weekend in Key West, with the exact days set by the organizers each year.

See every event in July 2027

Key Lime Festival schedule

July 2, 2025: The festival launched with a kick-off on the veranda of the Avalon Bed & Breakfast inn, followed by a live band on Duval Street.
July 3, 2025: A Key Lime Pie Hop took guests on a downtown tasting tour of pie variations.
July 4, 2025: The Rotary Club 5K started the day. The Key Lime Vendor Village opened at 10:00 am at the Southernmost Beach Café, and the World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship began at 1:30 pm.
July 5, 2025: The 5-Alarm Pie Challenge ran at the Alex Vega Key West Firehouse Museum, along with the Key Lime Sip & Stroll cocktail voting walk.
July 6, 2025: The Key Lime Pie Drop sent protected 5-inch pies off the approximately 88-foot observation deck of the Key West Lighthouse.

Source: keywestchamber.org

Tickets and cost

Watching the pie eating contest is free. An earlier edition listed a $25 entry fee to compete. Tastings and classes such as the Key Lime Cocktail Sip & Stroll and the Pie Hop were sold separately, and an earlier listing noted that most events were expected to sell out.

Source: destinationfloridakeys.com

History of Key Lime Festival

The family-friendly Key Lime Festival launched in 2013. It was created by author and historian David Sloan and artist Marky Pierson. The Florida Legislature declared Key lime pie the official state pie in 2006.

Source: keywestchamber.org

Key Lime Festival: questions people ask

When is the Key Lime Festival in Key West?

It is held around the Fourth of July. In 2025 it ran July 2 to 6.

What time does the Key Lime Pie Eating Championship start?

In 2025 it began at 1:30 pm at the Southernmost Beach Café, after a Vendor Village opened at 10:00 am.

How does the Key Lime Pie Eating Championship work?

Twenty-five competitors each try to eat a 9-inch pie in the fastest time, without using their hands. Contestants could register in advance on the festival website.

What is the Key Lime Pie Drop?

Entrants build a device or container to protect a 5-inch pie when it is dropped from the Key West Lighthouse observation deck. Registration was free in 2025.

Is the Key Lime Festival free?

Watching the pie eating contest is free. Tastings, classes and special dinners are ticketed separately.

Sources: keywestchamber.org, destinationfloridakeys.com

About Key Lime Festival

Five days of pie hops, cocktail strolls and a hands-free pie eating contest on the island where Key lime pie was born.

Key West celebrates its signature dessert around the Fourth of July with pie tastings, Key lime cocktails, bike tours and mini pie classes. The headline act is the World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship, where contestants eat a 9-inch pie without using their hands. Another favorite is the Pie Drop, where entrants try to keep a pie intact when it falls from the lighthouse. Many tastings and classes are ticketed, so reserve ahead.

Know before you go

Watching the pie eating contest is free, but tastings, classes and dinners need tickets that can sell out.
The Fourth of July weekend is busy in Key West, so book rooms and activities early.
Key West International (EYW) is on the island, a short ride from Old Town; Miami (MIA) is the main alternative with a long drive down the Keys.

Planning the trip

More like this

See all events