Watch CBS News

Key West 'Bed Race' Teams Blanket Historic Duval Street

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

KEY WEST (CBSMiami) – Billed as "the most fun you can have in bed with your clothes on," this weekend's Conch Republic Red Ribbon Bed Race was a highlight of the Conch Republic Independence Celebration that ends Sunday.

Each entry in Saturday afternoon's wacky challenge included a decorated bed mounted on wheels, either pushed or pulled up Duval Sreet by four race-team members while an additional team member rode on the bed.

Standout entries included beds decorated as a chariot for male and female Wonder Woman wannabes, a streamlined racecar and a lounge-chair ensemble pushed by men in grass skirts.

The 10-day Conch Republic Independence Celebration commemorates April 23, 1982, when Florida Keys government and business officials staged a secession from the United States to protest the installation of a U.S. Border Patrol blockade installed at the top of the Florida Keys Overseas Highway.

The Feds were ostensibly search for illegal drugs and aliens. Visitors leaving the Keys were subjected to a 10-mile-long traffic jam that added several hours to their trip home.

Sunday's culminating events include a sailing race and a musical production detailing the birth of the Conch Republic.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Florida Keys News Bureau contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.