Tranquility Bay Beach Resort Blog

Some of the finest homes and lushest gardens on the islands of Marathon are to be open to the public during the Marathon Garden Club’s annual House & Garden Tour set for Saturday, March 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The annual tour showcases the Keys’ outdoor lifestyle and spotlights three of Marathon’s private single-family homes and waterfront island retreats. They include a tropical rainforest, Tuscan-influenced open one-level residence and grand 4.5-acre oceanfront estate called the Bait Shack. The homes and gardens can be visited in any order.

The garden club’s grounds at mile marker 50 bayside also are to be open for exploration, with weekend attractions including an art show featuring local watercolor artists.

A meet­-and-greet artists’ reception is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Friday, March 1, featuring hors d’oeuvres, drinks and live music. Admission to the reception and art events is free. Hours for the art show are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 2, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 3. All displayed artwork is for sale.

Admission for the House & Garden Tour is $25 per person including light refreshments.

Tickets can be purchased at the garden club, located at 5270 Overseas Highway in Marathon; Key Bana Resort Apparel, 303 Sadowski Causeway on Key Colony Beach, and the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce, 12222 Overseas Highway in Marathon.

Event information: www.marathongardenclub.org or 305-743-4971

Fine artists and craftspeople from around the country are to spotlight their wares at the Pigeon Key Art Festival, set for the weekend of Feb. 23-24 at Marathon Airport, mile marker 54. The annual creative festival is set to transform the airport terminal and front access road into a tropically themed oasis of artwork, pottery, paintings, glass, sculpture, photography, jewelry and more. Each year artists demonstrate their skills during the show, giving attendees a glimpse of the techniques behind their original creations.

Now in its 19th year, the event is named for Pigeon Key, a small island beneath the Old Seven Mile Bridge that housed workers constructing the Over-Sea Railroad in the early 1900s and remains a Florida Keys cultural landmark today.

The festival features entertainment by Keys-based musicians including The Doerfels, Misery Loves Company, Brian Roberts & Rob DiStasi, Dave Feder, John Bartus, GearlJam and The Moondogs.

Other attractions include food and beverage booths serving local delicacies and sweet treats, an activity booth for children and the return of the Wyland Foundation to paint an official festival canvas with kids. A traditional Sunday art raffle concludes the weekend. Raffle tickets are to be available through 1 p.m. Sunday for a chance to win one of more than 100 pieces of artwork.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 per person for adults, $4 for students and free for children under 12. Parking is free at the Marathon Airport and festival patrons can retain their ticket stubs and redeem them for a free ferry trip to Pigeon Key within one year of their show admission.

Proceeds from the event are to benefit the Pigeon Key Foundation. In addition, featured Islamorada artist Michelle Nicole Lowe is to paint a commemorative original art piece for the foundation that will be available at the show.  Event information: pigeonkey.net or 305-509-2559

To book a two or three-bedroom beach house at Tranquility Bay Beach House Resort, call (855) 606-4502 while rooms last or visit www.tranquilitybay.com!

Attracted by a weekend filled with sunshine and fun, more than 700 runners and walkers from across the globe are expected to join the seventh annual Sombrero Beach Run set for Saturday, March 2 in Marathon, Florida. Tranquility Bay Beach House Resort provides the perfect location for event goers and spacious three-bedroom Marathon accommodations which are great for sharing with friends.

Runners from 20 U.S. states as well as international participants from Canada and Europe already have registered for the event. Proceeds benefit Keys Area Interdenominational Resources, a Marathon-based nonprofit organization that provides food and emergency services to Keys families in need.

The 2013 weekend workout begins Friday, March 1, with a 5-6:30 p.m. registration kick-off party located at Sombrero Beach at the end of Sombrero Beach Road, mile marker (MM) 50. Food, drinks and entertainment will be available. Walkers and runners also can register on site at 7 a.m. Saturday, March 2.

The 15k combined challenge and 10k run start at 8 a.m. Individual 5k runners and walkers are to begin at 9:15 a.m.

Attractions on race day include food, beverages, raffle prizes, music and fun in addition to a full slate of community and Keyswide events for attendees to enjoy all weekend. They include a Middle Keys bicycle tour Sunday, March 3, from Marathon’s famous Seven Mile Bridge to Bahia Honda State Park.

Registration for the 15k event is $35 per person in advance or $40 on race day. Students age 18 and under and U.S. military personnel can enter for $15. For 10k and 5k participants, pre-registration is $25 and race-day cost is $30. Students age 18 and under can enter for $10.

Cash awards await the overall male and female winners of each of the 15k, 10k, 5k run and 5k walk, as do other awards for second-place overall winners including a sunset cruise for four, aerial tours, snorkel or dive trips, dolphin swims or parasail rides. An awards ceremony on the beach follows the race with food, drinks and music.

Event information: www.sombrerobeachrun.com or 305-289-9868.

To book a room at Tranquility Bay Beach House Resort during the Sombrero Beach Run, visit www.TranquilityBay.com or call (855) 606-4502.