Sounds of the Season – Florida Weekly

A Keys Choral Arts concert. -KEYS CHORAL ARTS / COURTESY PHOTO

As the holidays sparkle across Key West, Eaton Street shines at the center of it all. Home to lively theaters, art galleries, cozy bars and restaurants, historic landmarks, and even an award-winning arthouse cinema, this vibrant stretch offers something festive for everyone. The air is filled with music, laughter, and the glow of twinkling lights as locals and visitors alike celebrate the season in one of downtown’s most creative corridors.

Now a beloved annual tradition, the Eaton Street Stroll transforms the neighborhood into a joyful, walkable winter wonderland. It’s an evening where music spills into the streets, creativity fills every doorway, and the holiday spirit truly comes to life along Eaton Street.

Founding member Tim Peterson conducting a performance. -TIM PETERSON / COURTESY PHOTO

Guests can wander from venue to venue, enjoying live concerts, mini orchestras, short films, pop-up art displays, and holiday shopping. It’s all hosted by community-based and nonprofit organizations.

The main creator behind this gathering, which maintains a stable number of continuous participants is “Tim” Peterson. He is the Director of Music at St.Paul’s Episcopal Church of Key West , a striking structure at the corner of Eaton and Duval Street with a garden and popular seasonal lineup of music events.

Several years ago, Peterson, a church organist for over 50 years and former staff accompanist at multiple universities, was concluding another Christmas season at St. Paul’s, when he made the decision to carry on a community of singers at the church. This resulted in the hosting of even more concerts. He essentially gave new life to the former Keys Chorale, which was a part of the local college. Now, the Keys Choral Arts concerts are one of the most packed stops on the Eaton Street Stroll.

Thinking back to the stroll’s inception, Peterson recalled taking his initial concept to Juliet Gray, an educator and performer, early on to brainstorm a possible new and larger holiday season event. After initially inviting the United Methodist Church (a block away from St. Paul’s) to join in on the performances, the two realized that all the involved parties were situated on that Eaton Street corridor. Pastor Terri Hill, previously of the Methodist Church, would coin the eventual name now used for the event.

This year, though, will mark a departure from the vaulted ceilings and captivating stained-glass windows that typically form the backdrop at St. Paul’s for Keys Choral Arts. The building is projected to remain closed to the public for about a year while it undergoes extensive restoration. The iconic windows, totaling a few dozen, are included in these wider plans and will be temporarily relocated for maintenance.

The iconic St. Paul’s is undergoing restoration at Eaton and Duval. -KEVIN ASSAM / FLORIDA WEEKLY

While there are plans for Keys Choral Arts concerts at the Tennessee Williams Theater in The College of the Florida Keys and Key West United Methodist Church later this season, the stroll performances will take place at The Studios of Key West, another annual stop on the event.

The Tropic Cinema hosts free holiday shorts during the stroll. -KEVIN ASSAM / FLORIDA WEEKLY

The Studios will host two concerts that day in its recently refurbished Helmerich Theater, showcasing its Annual Winter Members’ Exhibit, which is themed around “Zest for Life!” this year. Three floors of paintings, sculptures, textile works, mixed media productions, and colorful displays will occupy the rest of the building, while the rooftop space, complete with a bar, will provide gorgeous views of a sunset skyline.

As the stroll is readied for another edition, the Keys Choral Arts has continued to steadily grow its member base by placing open calls for its rehearsals in newspapers earlier in the year and hosting a “summer sing” aimed at recruiting new singers. It is all very much grassroots and low-key, which so far has proved successful in this small town.

This approach has also been extended to the schedule of the Eaton Street Stroll. Peterson collaborates with various venue programmers to ensure that opening hours are extended (as it all takes place on a Sunday) and that there is some variety in the lineup.

“So, we send out a little flyer saying, ‘What are you going to do? Promise us that you’ll stay open in these hours and let us know what we can put in the paper that you’re going to do,’” Peterson explained. He wants to ensure that, for example, none of the different music performances entirely overlap with each other.

A Keys Choral Arts performance inside St. Paul’s. -KEYS CHORAL ARTS / COURTESY PHOTO

“I think that by being in touch with all these not-for-profits that are being involved, we can make a better goal of it and feel like it’s cohesive, and yet, you can structure it yourself as a person that’s walking on the streets.”

The stroll typically precedes the Keys Choral Arts’ first major concert of the season by a week or two. So, this event often acts an introduction to choral arts and more classical music each season. A big switch up in genre from what one would typically hear at other downtown events and bars.

The event tends to draw snowbirds in addition to locals. Peterson described the typical concert-goer as sophisticated and with a background in attending similar musical events, perhaps orchestras in their hometown. Crucially, he believes people keep coming back because of the high-quality performances that he and the other group members put on.

An aerial view of Eaton Street lit up at night. -KEVIN ASSAM / FLORIDA WEEKLY

In previous years, there would be a large concert hosted by the chorale group from St. Paul’s, due to the building’s capacity to accommodate a large number of people at any given time. This year’s double feature at The Studios is as a result of the smaller capacity and a way to ensure everyone can make one show.

Outside, the other participating venues will be open to the public. Things kick off at 3:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church for its annual holiday concert, which will be the one space where everyone can gather as a collective audience. The Key West Woman’s Club, with its historic home and Hellings Curry Museum, will offer more live music, taking advantage of its streetside views of Duval.

A short walk away, the Key West Theater typically puts on live music from its main stage. While just across Duval, the Tropic Cinema welcomes audience members to sit for free animated and holiday shorts that often feature classic Christmas characters and tales like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. These shorts run on repeat at set intervals, meaning that you can begin your stroll with popcorn in a cozy cinema or cap the evening off in front of a big screen. No matter where you start or end up, you can expect a certain level of festivity as you explore Eaton Street. Happy Holidays!

In The KNOW

WHAT: Eaton Street Stroll
WHEN: December 7, 3:30-7:30 p.m.
INFO: keyschoralarts.org