The End of Prohibition Celebration will combine live entertainment, screenings and themed experiences at Sloppy Joe’s, linking local history with destination hospitality.
Key West End of Prohibition Celebration will bring three days of live entertainment, mixology demonstrations, film screenings and historical programming to Sloppy Joe’s Bar from Wednesday, Dec. 3, through Friday, Dec. 5. The festival marks the 92nd anniversary of Prohibition’s repeal and the birth of the Duval Street saloon, positioning a historic anniversary as a structured cultural and hospitality experience. Its programme combines public entertainment with activities centred on Key West’s connection to the Prohibition era.
The celebration is headquartered at Sloppy Joe’s, the bar at 201 Duval St. that was opened by original owner Joe Russell on the day Prohibition was repealed. Russell was identified as a rumrunner and speakeasy owner, while the venue’s regular patrons included Ernest Hemingway and his local and literary associates. That history gives the event a setting with a direct connection to the period it commemorates, rather than treating Prohibition solely as a historical theme.
The schedule begins Dec. 3 with live entertainment running from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. and a salute to Sloppy Joe’s Blonde Reserve Rum. Programming also includes screenings of the Prohibition-era musical Chicago at Key West’s Tropic Cinema, a cocktail experience at the Hemingway Social Club at the Hemingway Rum Company, and a rum-themed mixology activity at Bar 1 at the Key West Cooking Show venue. These elements extend the event across bars, cinema and culinary experiences around the city.
The scheduled highlight is Sloppy Joe’s Repeal Party on Friday, Dec. 5, the 92nd anniversary of the ratification of the constitutional amendment that revoked the alcohol ban. Hosted by Landon Bradbary, the party is set to feature swing bands, a costume competition, a vintage Anheuser-Busch delivery truck, giveaways and period cocktails. During the 5 p.m. hour, the programme will also unveil a large-scale wall of vintage photographs documenting Key West history, including images described as never previously displayed.
The event reflects how hospitality venues can use place-specific history to build a multi-part visitor programme without separating cultural interpretation from entertainment. Its mix of screenings, demonstrations, live music, costumes and archival material gives the anniversary several points of entry while keeping Sloppy Joe’s at the centre. For Key West End of Prohibition Celebration, the result is a festival format that connects a constitutional milestone with the continuing identity of one of the city’s best-known bars.
