Fantasy Fest: Halos & Horns Pool Party || Key West, FL
(We have a general overview of Fantasy Fest here)
If you love pool parties, Dante’s Halos & Horns extravaganza is a must at Fantasy Fest. It's an institution and a dizzying mass of daytime party-goers. We had such a great time the first year that it’s now on our annual priority list. Like everything at Fantasy Fest, it’s pure sloshy amusement and definitely not a bougie event. There’s a cover charge at the door (bring cash!) so either arrive early or be prepared to stand in line for a while. The venue, Dante’s Restaurant, is a couple blocks off of the main drag. It’s a very walkable ~10-15 minutes from Duval St., and it has a large parking lot for easy ride share access.
Think of any wild debaucherous pool party scene from any movie and you’ll get the idea of this one. Key West weather is so gorgeous in October that it’s made for day drinking in a pool. Dante’s is a large venue with a huge meandering pool and a couple bars on the ground floor, plus an upper level with a DJ, more bars, and bathrooms. There are several park bench tables near the entrance, but they’re usually already taken. Aside from that, there really aren’t any chairs or tables of any kind. Along the fence area people ball up their shoes, towels, and belongings on the grass and hope for the best. I suggest bringing a waterproof case for your phone, cash, cards, and ID and leave everything else at your hotel. Our second year we didn’t even bring towels or clothes and instead just air dried on the walk home.
Sex and full nudity isn’t allowed at this party, but sexiness is the rule and not the exception. I ended up topless along with lots of other women throughout the day. It’s a great location to get your flirt on with other people or couples since it’s such a laid back and perky atmosphere. Our first year we met this group in the pool and Dax and I ended up making out with one of the couples a few nights later at the Exposed party. Our second year we hung out with a local swingers group who roped off an area at the far end of the pool for some exclusivity. The venue has a runway with a stripper pole over a section of the pool. Every year they have a pole dancing contest (with cash prizes) towards the end of the day. I respect and admire the moxy of anyone who participates in front of such a huge crowd, but please don’t set your expectations very high. It's silly and sometimes even self-aware cartoonish entertainment by (often drunk) amateurs which perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere of this party.
The bars are always packed and chaotic. One trick we learned is to splurge on the signature drink which is humongous and you can nurse for a while. Or you can buy a bucket of canned drinks (beers, seltzers, etc) to avoid having to make multiple trips to the bar. They do serve food, which most people eat at the aforementioned park benches. We’ve never ordered food, it looks like a long wait and a waste of pool flirting time so we always fuel up before we arrive.
As the name Halos and Horns would suggest, the theme every year is angels and devils. We’ve both always gone as devils because being angelic isn’t our jam. The first year we were both in devil’s horn headbands and red sunglasses (which I cannot recommend enough, they’re really fun); I wore a red thong bikini (which I felt so hot in) and a snake print kimono; Dax wore sexy red micro shorts that clung to him when wet and outlined his ass and cock. The second year we went a bit rogue. Weeks before we had planned to attend a Big Lebowski sex party in Los Angeles, so I had a sexy gold bikini plus a plastic viking helmet with horns and Dax had white shorts with black sash. That party was unfortunately canceled so we recycled it for this one which abided by the “horns” theme. It was fun to be quirky and my unconventional headpiece got a lot of comments and flirty attention and was also useful as a hook to hang my unnecessary bikini top. As with most events at Fantasy Fest, you can never be too racy, wear too little, or be too over-the-top, but also keep your expensive or valuable costumes at home where they’re safe from pool water, drunkenness, and the potential for loss if you’re stripping off pieces throughout the day (as one does).
