Looking forward to John LeVique Pirate Days
Florida
In just over a month (Jun 11-13), John’s Pass in Madeira Beach, Florida, will again be over run with pirates of every description for the John LeVique Pirate Days Festival. Most of the activities on Saturday & Sunday are free. This will be my fifth year attending the event and I’m looking forward to seeing old friends, celebrating birthdays, and enjoying some grog.
The three day event is used to promote hurricane awareness. It’s a good chance to learn about the devastation that can occur during a storm; ways to keep your family and home safe; and how local agencies prepare for recovery in the aftermath of a hurricane. I hear they’re going to have all the information located in an air conditioned expo tent. Sounds like a great place to learn new things when you need a break from the sun.
The weekend begins Friday evening with the Pirates Ball, an adults only event. The Brigands, a popular pirate band from the northeast, brings their own special brand of Sea Shanties and pirate tales to the Holiday Isles Elks Lodge. Pull your pirate finery from the sea chest for the costume contests and check out the silent auction for a chance at some booty. There’ll be grub and grog available. I’ve never found the “Kiss a Pirate” or gaming tables in years past and plan to be on this lookout for them this time around.
Saturday and Sunday’s schedules are still being finalized at this time. The Brigands have several shows scheduled; a Family Treasure Hunt for families is being planned; and the ever popular Pirate’s Pub Crawl (adults only) is in the works. The West Coast Mutineers are completing the choreography and practicing their Fight Circle and Beach Brawl shows. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a copy of today’s St Pete Times, look for the picture from this weekend’s fight practice.
The weekend events are held at the John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk and the local business participation is strong. Area hotels and condos often run specials for those who want to spend the whole weekend. Local bars and restaurants get in on the festivities by sponsoring the PubCrawl tokens and offering discounts on meals.
Our room is booked across the street from the boardwalk, the cats’ nanny is scheduled, and everything is on track for a great weekend. The only thing left to do is make sure we have enough Sun-X towelettes on hand and figure out which pieces of garb we want to wear.
Whether you’re looking for something fun to do for one day or plan to spend the whole weekend, you’ll find plenty of fun and piratey trouble to get in to. Come on out and … we’ll see you at Faire!
PS. The pictures are from the 2008 & 2009 shows.
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