This page is devoted to those who can’t get enough of pirates and piracy (you know who you are!). I have gathered information that pertains to [pirate] festivals, special events, museums, shows, movies, books, and more!
U.S. Pirate Festivals
Alabama
Happy Harbor Pirate Fest, Sun Harbor Marina – Orange Beach, AL (September)
Arizona
Pirate’s Weekend at the Arizona Renaissance Festival – Gold Canyon, AZ (February)
California
Cutthroats of Corona Pyrate Festival – Corona, CA (May)
Queen Bess and Pyrates Renaissance Fair – Bakersfield, CA (May)
Sea Chantey Festival – San Diego, CA (May)
Long Beach Sea Festival – Long Beach, CA (June)
Pirate Invasion of Rainbow Lagoon – Long Beach, CA (June)
Northern California Pirate Festival, Vallejo, CA (June)
Pirate Daze – Santa Ana, CA (August)
Big Bear Pirate Fair – Big Bear, CA (August)
Shoreline Village Pirate Festival – Shoreline Village, Long Beach, CA (September)
Toshiba Tall Ships Festival – Dana Point Harbor, CA (September)
Gold Coast Pirate Faire – Ventura, CA area (September)
San Diego Pirate Faire – San Diego, CA (September)
Annual Buccaneer Days at Two Harbors – Catalina Isle, CA
Colorado
Renaissance and Pirate Festival – Pagosa Springs, CO (July)
Boulder Pirate Con – Boulder, CO (September)
Connecticut
Annual Sea Music Festival – Mystic Seaport, CT (June)
Delaware
Wilmington Pirate Festival – Wilmington, DE (June)
Florida
Gasparilla Pirate Fest – Tampa, FL (January)
Treasure Coast Pirate Fest – Stuart, FL (January-February)
The Pillage of the Village at the Florida Renaissance Festival – Deerfield Beach, FL (February)
Lake Park Pirate Fest – Lake Park, FL (February)
Pirates sack St. Augustine, Florida (Searle’s Raid) – Tampa, FL (March)
Pensacola Maritime & Pirate Fest – Pensacola, FL (March)
Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival – Fernandina Beach, FL (April)
Info found at the Fernandina pirates club page
John Levique Pirate Days – Madeira Beach, FL (June)
Billy Bowlegs Festival – Fort Walton Beach, FL (June)
Drake’s Raid – St. Augustine, FL (June)
Cocoa Beach Pirate Fest – Cocoa Beach, FL (June)
Fishermen’s Village Pirate Fest – Punta Gorda, FL (July)
Pirates of the St. Juans – Sanford, FL (September)
Englewood Pirate Festival – Englewood, FL (September)
Cedar Key Pirate Invasion Weekend- Cedar Key, FL (September)
Key Largo Pirate Fest – Key Largo, FL (October)
Fort Myers Beach Pirate Festival – Fort Myers Beach, FL (October)
Anna Maria Island Pirate Festival – Bradenton, FL (November)
Saint Arrrgustine Pirate Gathering – St. Augustine, FL (November)
Pirates in Paradise Festival – Key West, FL (late Nov-Dec) No Festival Currently Planned
Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasion – Key West, FL (December)
Georgia
Dead Buccaneers Ball – Tifton, GA (March)
Southern Pirate Festival- Columbus,GA (October)
Tybee Island Pirate Fest – Tybee Island, GA (October)
Southern Pirate Festival – Columbus, GA (October)
Indiana
Pirates of Paynetown – Paynetown, IN (August)
BucCornEar Festival and Parade- Helmsburg, IN (September)
Louisiana
NOLA Pyrate Week – New Orleans, LA (March)
Contraband Days Festival – Lake Charles, LA (April-May)
Maine
Damariscotta River Pirate Rendezvous – Damariscotta, ME (June)
Eastport Pirate Festival – Eastport, ME (September)
Maryland
Fells Point Privateer Festival – Baltimore, MD (April)
Pirates and Wenches Fantasy Weekend – Rock Hall, MD (August)
Massachusetts
New England Pirate Faire – Gloucester, MA (June
Michigan
Michigan Pirate Festival – Grand Haven, MI (August)
Buccaneer Bash at Olde World Vllage – Augusta, MI (May)
Missouri
Central Missouri Pirate Fest – Kingdom City, MO (June)
St. Louis Pirate Festival – Wentzville, MO-West of St. Louis (September)
Minnesota
Plunder Fest – Clarks Grove, MN (August)
Nebraska
Midlands Pirate Fest – Omaha, NE (October)
Nevada
Pirate Fest Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV (April)
New Jersey
Pillage the Village Festival – Mt. Holly, NJ (June)
Pirate’s Day – Barnegat, NJ (September)
New Jersey Pirates and Privateers Weekend – Atlantic City, NJ (September)
Toms River Pirate Festival – Toms River, NJ (October)
New York
Marathon Pirate Festival – Marathon, NY (June)
Long Island Pirate Festival – Long Island, NY (June)
Niagara Pirates Festival – Newfane-Olcott, NY (July)
Evangola State Park Pirate Fest, Irving, NY (July)
Pirates Weekend at the Sterling Renaissance Festival – Sterling, NY (July) Pirate Fest – Port Washington (June)
Brooklyn Treasure Cove Maritime Festival / Red Hook Pirate Fest – Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY (July)
Palmyra Pirate Weekend – Palmyra, NY (August)
Bill Johnston’s Pirate Days – Alexandria Bay, NY (August)
North Carolina
Greenville/ Pitt County Pirate Festival – Greenville, NC (April)
Pirate Festival at Hammocks Beach State Park – Jacksonville, NC (May)
Beaufort Pirate Invasion – Beaufort, NC (August)
Invasion of the Pirates Flotilla – Wilmington, NC (October)
Outer Banks Pirate Festival-Outer Banks (August)
Ohio
Pirate Weekend on the Santa Maria – Columbus, OH (May)
Pirate Invade the Great Lakes Medieval Faire – Cleveland, OH (July)
Great Lakes Pirate Fest- Vermilion, OH (October)
Pirates Weekend at the Ohio Renaissance Festival – Harveysburg, OH (September)
Oklahoma
Pirates Everywhere at the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival – Muskogee, OK (May)
Oregon
Rockaway Beach Pirate Festival – Rockaway Beach, OR (June)
Seadog Nights and Gypsy Carnival – Lebanon, OR (July)
Depoe Bay Pirate Treasure Hunt – Depoe Bay, OR (August)
New Pirate Festival by the Pirates of Tortuga – Molalla, OR (August)
Pirates of the Pacific – Brookings-Harbor, OR (August)
Portland Pirate Festival – Portland, OR (September)
Pennsylvania
Pirates Weekend at Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire – Mt. Hope, PA (August)
Pirates Weekend at Wild Rose Renaissance Faire- Columbus, PA (June)
Marcus Hook Pirate Festival – Marcus Hook, PA (September)
South Carolina
Charleston Harbor Fest – Charleston, SC (June)
Annual Harborwalk Festival – Georgetown, SC (June)
Charleston Pirate Festival – Charleston, SC (August)
Tennessee
Pirates invade Tennessee Renaissance Festival – Nashville, TN (May)
Texas
Buc Days – Corpus Christi, TX (April)
Fifth Annual Swashbucklers’ Soiree – Galveston, TX (July)
Long John silver’s Pirate Invasion Weekend at Scarborough Faire – Waxahachie, TX (April-May)
Texas Pirate Festival – Hillsboro, TX (June)
Granbury Pirate Invasion – Granbury, TX (August)
Surfside Beach Pirate Fest – Surfside Beach, TX (September)
Pirate Days of Texas – The Colony/Lake Lewisville, TX (October)
Virginia
Hampton Blackbeard Festival – Hampton, VA (June)
Yankee Point Marina River Pirates Festival – Lancaster, VA (August)
Washington
Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze – Westport, WA (June)
Pirate’s Weekend at Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire – Buckley, WA (August)
Lake Chelan Pirate Fest – Lake Chelan, WA (September)
Outside the U.S.:
Canada
Explore Oak Island Days, Oak Island Resort – Nova Scotia, Canada (June)
Privateer Days – Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada (June)
The Pirate Festival at Historic Fort York – Toronto, Ontario, Canada (August)
Mahone Bay Pirate Festival and Regatta – Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada (August)
United Kingdom
Brixham Pirate Festival – Brixham, Devon UK (May)
Conwy Pirate Weekend – Conwy, Wales, UK (June)
Fort Victoria Caribbean Pirate Show – Isle of Wight, UK (July)
Whitby Pirate Day – Whitby, North yorkshire, UK (September)
*This list was found on www.piratefestivals.com
But you don’t have to go anywhere to participate in TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY…
It all began on June 6, 1995 when two men, John Baur and Mark Summers, came up with the idea. Then Columnist Dave Berry got involved…let’s just say that it has grown in popularity every year since it began.
Anyway, if you’re interested in participating, here’s what you need to know:
What: International Talk Like a Pirate Day
When: September 19
Where: Worldwide
How: Just pretend you’re a pirate whenever you speak. Here are some basic pirate words and phrases…
“Ahoy!” – “Hello!”
“Aye!” – “Yes, I concur whole-heartedly.”
“Aye aye!” – “I’m on it.”
Arrr! -more a sound than a word, meaning “yeah” or “works for me” or “you bet,” etc.
“Dead Men Tell No Tales!” (self-explanatory!)
“Godspeed!” – Safe voyage!
“No quarter!” = We’ll show no mercy!
“Splice the mainbrace!” – Let’s partake in some grog!
“Shiver Me Timbers!” – Color me surprised!
Davey Jones’ locker – pirate slang for bottom of the ocean
Grog – (very important word for pirates) an alcoholic beverage, such as rum, ale, or wine
Lubber – (or land lubber) A lubber is someone who does not go to sea, who stays on the land
Poop deck – highest deck at the aft end of a ship
Shipshape – Everything is looking good
***Lots of businesses will be celebrate this fun day, such as Krispy Kreme. If you talk like a pirate, you’ll get a FREE doughnut. If you dress like a pirate, you’ll get a DOZEN FREE DOUGHNUTS.
For more on TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY, visit:
www.facebook.com/InternationalTalkLikeAPirateDay
BEST PIRATE MOVIES OF ALL TIME
Now this is a tough call and no doubt some will bash my list but here they are in no particular order:
Pirate Latitudes (not yet released)
Captain Phillips
Muppets Treasure Island
Yellowbeard
Devil-Ship Pirates
Pirates of Blood River
The Boy and the Pirates
The Island
Pirates of the High Seas
The Buccaneer
Pirates of the Caribbean (series)
The Sea Hawk
Crimson Pirate
Captain Blood
Against All Flags
Treasure Island
Return to Never Land
Cutthroat Island
Nate and Hayes
There have been quite a few television shows featuring pirates over the years but most are old pirate shows. There are a few, however, that are still on the air or available for sale:
Black Sails
Crossbones
Pirate Master
Space Pirates
Jake and the Never Land Pirates
PIRATE BOOKS
What about books pertaining to pirates? I did a search and was amazed at how many romance novels have a pirate theme, such as Under the Jolly Roger, To Love a Thief, Rescued by the Buccaneer, and How to Catch a Pirate. The romance genre is not my thing so I’m not going to make any recommendations. If you’re interested in those books, I suggest you go to www.goodreads.com and search for ‘pirates’ and ‘romance’ and see what you find. Here are a few recommendations. There are so many books that I suggest you go to www.amazon.com and do a search for more options:
Frenchman’s Creek
Sea Witch
Under the Black Flag
Peter Pan
Pirates of the Carolinas (of course I have to include my own pirate book!)
Bloody Jack
Treasure Island
On Stranger Tides
Pirates!
A few fun kids’ books too:
Pirates Go to School
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC
Hidden Mickey: Sometimes Dead Men Do Tell Tales (Disney)
Pirates of the Carolinas for Kids
PIRATE MUSEUMS
Pirates of Nassau Museum (Bahamas, Caribbean): Loads of good stuff, such as a pirate re-enactor, wax figurines, replicas of famous pirate ships and artifacts… http://www.pirates-of-nassau.com