Mallory Square is a must see spot in Key West, FL. We found people gathered around street performers, others buying fresh coconuts from a street vendor, and of course the wild chickens found throughout Key West.

One edge of the square meets the ocean. You can sit and watch as boats glide by. There were several large sail boats with their sails furled cutting through the crystal clear waters.

In the middle of the square was a group of people surrounding a performer. He was doing tricks which we mainly ignored as we strolled around. We did come within view at the tail end of his performance.

He had a small hoop on top of a person that was bent over or twisted in some strange way. The performer was small and limber. As a final gesture, he ran through the opening in the crowd and leaped his entire body through the small hoop. It didn't seem possible at first glance but he carried it out with grace.

At another edge of the square was an old leather skinned performer setting up some reggae colored drums. He was shirtless exposing his wrinkled body that had seen too many hours in the sun. The entire time we were there he banged on the drums to a slow rhythm.

At the edge of the square that faced the town, a performer announced the beginning of his performance with a whistle. We were mesmerized by his performance and watched the entire thing. He did hand stands, juggled knives, did hat tricks, juggled fire, and went around on a tall unicycle that must have been ten feet tall.

To get on his unicycle he had three men hold it steady as he climbed small pegs like a ladder. Once on top he had no choice but to keep moving. For the most part he was peddling one rotation forward followed by one backward to stay in place. It was up there that he managed to light and juggle sticks that were on fire.

Beyond the tricks and death defying acts, he was genuinely funny. Throughout the entire time, and most impressively when he was struggling to stay balanced, he was cracking jokes and improvising.

The entire time we spent in the square was entertaining and full of life.