12/04/2025
The Key West Harbor Walk of lights is 20 years old this year! Now lit every holiday season the night before Thanksgiving to gigantic crowds at 3 different spots, it was first lit back in 2006 quite unceremoniously. Created by our very own Captain Tom Stroh using some unused marina advertising funds, he was happy to just get it all done. While also running Catamaran Echo Charters, he spent 2 + weeks putting up 4 real Christmas trees and stringing lights up the palm trees and down the Harbor Walk from Jimmy Buffetâs recording studio to the very large Ferry Terminal balcony.
Now after 20 years of holiday lighting evolution (and a real lighting contractor) Key West has a major seven week event of amazing lights twinkling on the Historic Seaport marina waters.
Called the Key West Bight Marina, Tom started the Key West âBightâ before Christmas Holiday Celebration and the Harbor Walk of Lights.
Now itâs all become the anchor event for the Key West Holiday Fest, our holiday umbrella event by the Logging Association.
Tom tried a lot of things over the years, from free concerts to making a peg-leg Santa appear out of thin air. But the Harbor Walk of Lights has always been the natural center of it all. The first years of lighting everything up at once involved getting about a dozen bar patrons to help out, each plugging-in a section of the lights all at the same time, by all getting a text that said âNOWâ. Then weâd all go back in the bar to toast a successful lighting!
Nowadays the Seaport management works closely with Tom every year to coordinate everything so 3 lightings go perfect. And the huge crowds are heartwarming! A mob of Christmas spirit descends out of nowhere to enjoy the Lighting of the Harbor Walk and just being a part of something beautiful.
Now tons of kids get to help with the countdown, and little gifts and treats abound for all. Also the Cheryl Cates Toy Drive now kicks off that night, along with the Crystal Cates Christmas Giveaway gifting over $10,000 of laptop computers to elementary school students.
The official website KeyWestChristmas.org now gets thousands of visitors all year long, from the organic popularity of people who love the holidays and love the Key West Bight Marina and Historic Seaport.
Thereâs holiday events throughout all the weeks of the season, all around the Historic Seaport Harbor Walk of Lights, on and in the famous boats, bars, restaurants shops and galleries.
And that holiday lighting spirit keeps spreading all over the island. So yes, Key West has officially gone âcrazy for Christmasâ. See you here this holiday season!
Photo credit: Rob OâNeal
