Pirates gathered from near and far at the free 5th Annual Northern California Pirate Festival, held at the Vallejo Waterfront June 18 and 19. I took the ferry from San Francisco across the bay to the site, dressed in full pirate regalia as several others did.
We adventure-loving scoundrels and scallyways feasted on roasted turkey drumsticks, meat pies, oysters on the half-shell, cinnamon almonds and decadent chocolate dipped strawberries. Throughout the day, pirates packed the alehouses. Male and female pirates needing new clothes, hats, rum flasks, belts, swords, knives, jewelry, maps, tankards, and flags for their ships had an execellent assortment of wares to purchase. And lundlubbers who entered the fair dressed in modern attire exited dressed as pirates.
Entertainment ranged from music, sea chantey sing-a-longs, sword show, pirate magician, treasure hunt, and pirate watching. Children's activities included a pirate school, games, storytelling, costume parade and contest. There were plenty of opportunities to strike up conversations with friendly pirates roaming the fair. One of the highlights of the festival was the cannon battle, in which cannons stationed at the waterfront thunderously fired at a pirate ship as she sailed by. The deafening sound of those cannons and the smell of gunpowder wafting through the breeze gave me a real taste of battles during the golden age of piracy. Yo-ho-ho!
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