32nd Annual Tradesman Appreciation Day
Now an annual celebration of ours in September, Tradesman Appreciation Day was conceived as a one-off in 1994, when great American sculptor John Martini, whose studio was then located in a foundry on the old Navy base just down the street from The Parrot, would frequent our saloon for a drink after long, late-night sessions creating his unique metal sculptures. The medium Martini chose to work with, steel-plate and cast-iron, was a physically-challenging one, so he came to The Green Parrot often, to recruit the help of the able-bodied, but often elusive tradesmen known to frequent our corner. An offshoot of his search was his creation of an 8-foot iron sculpture, inspired by the tradesman he found here, a piece entitled, "Where's Jimbo and the Other Giants of the Building Trade?" acquired, quite fittingly, and hangs in The Bar today. Unveiled with great ceremony, the sculpture featured abstract figures, one wielding a plumber's wrench, plus as carpenter, an electrician, a female painter, as well as sheet-rocker, balanced on his drywall stilts, a facsimile of what the Parrot oft represented -- a bar that has been "Keeping the Working Men and Women of Key West Lubricated Since 1890". On that day, what seemed to begin as just another Parrot party became the first Tradesman's Appreciation Day. To mark the occasion, we annually issue laminated Tradesman and Tradeswoman Passes, complete with name, Polaroid photo, occupation and authorization. Even visiting President Jimmy Carter got one. And rambling Key West tradesmen and tradeswomen began using the card as their photo ID!
Event Details
Date: September 18, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Venue: Green Parrot Bar
Address: 601 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040
Browse group: Arts & Culture
More Events in This Browse Group
- Summer Bingo Night (Free Entry) — September 2, 2026 · 7:00 PM (Doors 6:00 PM) · Key West Theater (Browse group: Arts & Culture)
- Key West Art Walk — September 3, 2026 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm · Various galleries on Duval: Explore the vibrant art scene of Key West during the monthly Art Walk, featuring galleries and artists showcasing their work. (Browse group: Arts & Culture)
- Sunset Celebration — September 3, 2026 · 6:28pm · Mallory Square: Experience the nightly Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square, featuring local artists and performers as the sun sets over the Gulf. (Browse group: Arts & Culture)
- Occupational Hazard, The First Coral Reefers - SOLD OUT — September 5, 2026 · 2:00 PM (Doors 1:00 PM) · Key West Theater (Browse group: Arts & Culture)
Explore Key West While You’re Here
- Keys Fresh Seafood Market — Fresh, locally caught Florida Keys seafood including stone crab, grouper, snapper, lobster, Key West pink shrimp, and yellowfin tuna. Located on Stock Island just past Hogfish Bar & Grill. Online ordering with overnight shipping available nationwide.
- Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden Weddings — A lush native botanical garden offering tropical outdoor settings for ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, and other wedding-weekend gatherings.
- General Horseplay — A playful Caroline Street cocktail bar pairing creative drinks with beer, wine, light bites, live music, and a lively back bar. Come for well-made cocktails without the formality and stay for the late-night tomfoolery.
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park — A historic waterfront state park and beach where the Atlantic meets the Gulf of Mexico, offering one of Key West's most spectacular shoreline sunset views.
- Key West Food Tours — Award-winning food tours showcasing the best of Key West cuisine. Highly-rated reviews and industry honors make this one of the most sought-after experiences in The Keys. Savor some of the Caribbean's best-loved dishes with tours available every day of the week.
- The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum — Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote in this for ten years. During that time he wrote seventy percent of his life-time works. Today we operate as a museum providing guided tours every fifteen minutes f...