Ahoy Mateys! The Cape Cod Pirate Festival returns to Yaaaarmouth in June

Frankie Rowley, Cape Cod Times
·3 min read

Ahoy, all ye swashbucklers and buccaneers, fancy a visit back in time to when pirates ruled the seas? For two weekends in June, the Cape Cod Pirate Festival is transforming the Joshua Sears Memorial Field into the village of Moist Tortugas in the Town of Yaaaarmouth for four days of blimey good fun.

The festival runs from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from June 1 to 2 and June 8 to 9 featuring performances, pub crawls, costume contests, theme days and more. While attendees aren't required to dress up, it adds to the overall fun.

“It's really similar to a renaissance fair, but with pirates,” Chris Schultz, founder of the Cape Cod Pirate Festival said.

Buck Kinnear and Molly Gales make the rounds for visitors on the first day of the 2021 Pirate Festival. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times
Buck Kinnear and Molly Gales make the rounds for visitors on the first day of the 2021 Pirate Festival. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times

Cape Cod Pirate Festival returns for first two weekends of June

This year’s theme days include the traditional “Yaaaarmouth Day” on opening day (June 1) which grants all adult Yarmouth residents half-off admission on tickets with proof of I.D. and “Dress Like a Pirate Day” (June 2) plus the return of the “Pirate in the Sky Day” (June 8), an ode to steampunk, after its success following its introduction last year.

The final day of the festival (June 9) is dedicated to the fantasy world with a theme of “Merfolk, Fairies and Fantasies.” Costume contests will take place each day for adults and kids on the Main Stage so if you want to dress up, you might as well dress up to win a prize.

Dress like a pirate, contestant Kader Blaney, center, poses with Gregory Young, left, and Tom Vigneau on the first day of the 2021 Pirate Festival. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times
Dress like a pirate, contestant Kader Blaney, center, poses with Gregory Young, left, and Tom Vigneau on the first day of the 2021 Pirate Festival. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times

“I always say that whenever you're dealing with a renaissance fair or a pirate fair, a huge fair like that…you get all different genres (who) come out to show off their costumes.”

Outside of the costume contests, Old Tom’s Tavern, the on-site pub, will be hosting a slew of tastings, pub crawls and even an open mic as the Harlot Queens, a well-known group in the ren-fair scene, provide all-day entertainment and pour the drinks in what Schultz describes as a mix of “Coyote Ugly” and “Ellen’s Stardust Diner.”

“The girls will burst out into song at any point in time,” he said. “They’ll joke. They’ll get sassy. They’ll boss around the guys a little bit and talk up the girls who are in the pub. It’s really a fun experience.”

Dressed for the part, Sarah Lareau takes aim at the knife throwing targets on the first day of the 2021 Pirate Festival. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times
Dressed for the part, Sarah Lareau takes aim at the knife throwing targets on the first day of the 2021 Pirate Festival. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times

Demonstrations from local groups like the Yarmouth Minute Men, who take on their pirate-sona of Jermiah’s Gunners for the event, and performances from musicians such as the Plank Walkers and Baechtold and Abel Ariel Artistry also fill up the days with good music and entertainment.

For kids, the festival’s “Kid’s Cove,” hosted by the Cape Cod Maritime Museum, will host a series of STEM-based nautical themed activities throughout the day coupled with festival games and rides to keep them entertained. The “Pirate’s Market,” also returns pirates who enjoy spending their booty.

“I would encourage people to look at the schedule ahead of time and plot out their day,” Schultz said. “It's good to kind of plan that ahead of time and frankly, (you) can't do everything in one day. If you're able to come down and have a place…or you want to grab a hotel room…I recommend it because there's some great opportunities for folks to just come on out and make an entire weekend of it.”

The Yarmouth Minutemen put on live fire cannon display on the first day of the 2021 Pirate Festival. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times
The Yarmouth Minutemen put on live fire cannon display on the first day of the 2021 Pirate Festival. Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times

Tickets for the festival are $19 for adults, $15 for children and there is a  $45 “play all day” pass available for purchase to use on games and rides. Tastings at Old Tom’s Pub are $35 and the pub crawl is $25.

The festival is also running a special promotional package with Bluebird Hotels which includes two adults and two children’s tickets to the festival and a “pirate-themed” amenity upon arrival.

For more information about this year’s festival, Bluebird hotel package deal and a full lineup of events, visit https://www.capecodpiratefestival.com/. The Joshua Sears Memorial Field is located at 28 Wood Road in South Yarmouth.

Frankie Rowley covers entertainment and things to do. Contact her at frowley@capecodonline.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Pirate Festival returns for first two weekends in June