Associated Press

Annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest Begins in Florida Keys

Florida Keys News Bureau via AP
In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Hank Wielgosz, left, tries to impress the judges during the first preliminary round of the “Papa” Hemingway Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West, Fla., on Thursday.

The Associated Press

10:24 JST, July 21, 2023

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — Almost 140 bearded men who resemble Ernest Hemingway converged on Key West, the late author’s home during the 1930s, to compete in the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest that began Thursday evening.

The challenge is a highlight of the island’s Hemingway Days festival that salutes the literary talent and adventurous life of the Nobel Prize-winning writer.

During his Key West years, Hemingway penned classics including “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “To Have and Have Not.”

The three-night look-alike competition is held at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, where Hemingway often spent time with local and literary friends.

Closely observed by a judging panel of previous winners including 2022’s Jon Auvil, of Dade City, Florida, contestants take turns pontificating and parading across Sloppy Joe’s stage.

Many are repeat contenders who bring their own cheering sections, and most attempt to copy the “Papa” persona and appearance adopted by Hemingway in his later years.

The contest’s second preliminary round is set for Friday, the 124th anniversary of Hemingway’s July 21 birth, and the 2023 winner is set to be chosen Saturday night.

Hemingway Days continues through Sunday with events including a quirky “Running of the Bulls” spoof, a street fair and the Key West Marlin Tournament that recalls the author’s passion for Florida Keys fishing.