July 22, 2021 - 6:02 PM
KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) â The 40th edition of an Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest opened Thursday night at an iconic Key West bar once frequented by the author, marking the return of a contest canceled last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Some 70 stocky, bearded men resembling the late writer competed in the first of two preliminary rounds at Sloppy Joeâs Bar. The contestâs second preliminary round is set for Friday and the 2021 winner is to be chosen Saturday night.
The three-night contest is a cornerstone of the islandâs Hemingway Days festival, staged around the literary legendâs July 21 birthday to salute his writing talent, legacy and adventurous life. Hemingway lived and wrote on the subtropical island for most of the 1930s.