One of Sarah Palin’s lesser-known accomplishments is her prowess with a cutlass, or so it would seem. A costume this outlandish can mean only one thing: Fantasy Fest is upon us.

Tony Falcone, who founded Fast Buck Freddie’s in 1976 and went on to organize the first Fantasy Fest in 1979, is still working to ensure that his Duval Street institution is ground zero for costumery of all sorts: A whole section of the store is dedicated to Fantasy Fest related merchandise.

Patty Sickel, the buyer’s assistant at Fast Buck’s, says she picked things out for this year’s Fantasy Fest that would fit with the theme of Pirates, Pundits and Political Party Animals — including masks featuring the likenesses of both Democratic and Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates.

“We bought all four in equal amounts,” said Sickel. “Sarah

[Palin] was gone in like three days.” Sickel said she has had to reorder the Palin masks twice already. “People have been buying because they want to make fun of her,” she whispered. “They’ve been selling like crazy.”

So far, Fast Buck’s has sold about 150 of the Palin masks, which are going for $4.95 each.

Sickel says she tried to order full latex masks featuring Palin but that those are usually made in China and the Palin masks, apparently, haven’t made it to production just yet.

“Palin? You can’t even keep them on the shelf,” said John Cline, a clerk at Fast Buck’s. “Sarah Palin sold out first.” So, if you’re walking Duval Street reveling in the splendor that is Fantasy Fest and see a body-painted Palin slamming a frozen cocktail out of an airbrushed, personalized, oversized cup, rest assured. It’s probably not the real deal.

Source: http://www.keysnet.com/212/story/30206.html