Pirate Festl, Arrrrrr!

So you wanna be a pirate? Here's your chance ter be one.

July 22nd - 24th is the first Santa Cruz Pirate Fest, hosted by Captain Robert Flint and myself (Captain Groggy Swagger).

It is located at Portola Redwood State Park, Hillside Group Camp Site. Highway 9 to Highway 35 to Alpine to State Park.

For those who are from the north:

280 to Paige Mill Road (west away from Stanford)
Cross the 35 and Paige Mill becomes Alpine
Follow Alpine to Portola State Park Road

What is Pirate Fest?

It is a camping trip where everyone is a pirate. If'n yer not a pirate, yer a landlubber and we'll gut ye fer yer loot and take yer car as a prize. (not really but jeeze, you don't go to a pirate fest and not be a pirate!)

What can I expect?

Dancing, sea shanties, music, food, grog, beer, maybe a band, maybe a troupe of fencers swasing buckles, a pirate ship and lots of costumes and pirate talk.

What should I bring?

Bring your camping gear, any pirate gear/costuming you have, food for yourself and food for the Saturday feast, any beer or spirits ye may want to imbibe (what we bring will be very limited and if it runs out the officer's mess will come out a bawlin and orderin lashings) and bring yer sailor's tongue! Also it will be $10 per evening per person to cover the costs of our looting and pillaging of the forests.

When does it start?

Noon-ish on July 22nd till the afternoon of july 24th.

Am I invited?

Absolutely! Please do let us know you are planning on attending so we have a good idea what we'll need to bring. RSVP at Captain Groggy Swagger and to Captain Robert Flint

Aaron, I need a c... I'm Captain Groggy Swagger, aarrrrrr!. Dread Pirate Flint, I need a costume!

Center Stage Costumes
Stuff
Information
Local pirates (also some great costume links in here)
Research
Sea shanty lyrics
more sea shanties, with sound!
Get you pirate name!

-Dread Pirate Flint

A lot, a LOT!

So I couldn't post for the past few weeks because I had to keep the directions for the party up. Now I can tell you everything that has been happening again, and what is a self-glorifying, egotistical website for if not for that?

Sparge! It went well. People had a great time. I built a 34 foot pirate ship. Wanna see it? I thought you might.



I don't remember too much of Sparge except that there was dancing which is unheard of, and there were some sea shanties. There was also some beer I hear and some Ivanhoe, some cheese, some carrots, some reindeer and a freak storm in the middle of the forest. HERE are some more pictures taken by Julie Hughes.

After Sparge there was a certain epic weekend in Sacramento where I got to visit with Cassie. I watched her dance in a ballet. Ballet is an interesting thing. I don't know what to say about ballet. Graceful yet sterile. Now I am interested to see her do all the other kinds of dance she does. We also went to eat at this place called Tahoe Joes. They have the BEST shrimp! The rest of the weekend we just talked.

Then there was the LAN party. There were many people, lots of fun, great food, great beer. I wish it could have been a little more fun for me. You see... I thought I had let everyone know about the party before it happened a month ahead of time and given them all a chance to speak up if this was not okay but it appears I was wrong. One person at that party (besides me) did not have fun, and that person was a house mate who thought the party was only going to happen for one day. I don't know how he got this impression, all the other roommates understood. It could have been that he went away for two weeks without telling us and came back the day of the party to tell me how unpleased he was that the party was happening the whole weekend and that was going to inhibit his and his girlfriend's sleep. So I spent the rest of the weekend worrying about waking him and his girlfriend up at night with all the people who came to the party. We got "sushhed", guilt tripped and everything else through the weekend and I was basically stressed the whole time because I knew I would get a sever bitching after the party... which I did. So basically a three day party that cost entirely too much money was a wash for me. I do appreciate all the people who came to the party and I hope my mood did not ruin the event for you. I want to especially thank the people who contributed to the party. Mike (Milesgloriosous) for the wireless router, the technical help and the pizza on Saturday night, Mike D for cooking and hosting the D&D game, Karen and Kyle for buying and cooking the breakfast on Monday morning, Jordan for the booze run and the X-Box, Jen for being so considerate about her sleeping arrangements and Lee for playing that Tatu song over and over again for me. Here are some pictures. HERE are some photos of the party taken by Myla.

So now looking to the future! July 22nd - 24th is the first Santa Cruz Pirate Fest, hosted by Mike Donegan and myself. It is located at Portola Redwood State Park
Hillside Group Camp Site Highway 9 to Highway 35 to Alpine to State Park. For this event we may have some hobos singing sea shanties, fencers swashing buckles on the deck of the Black Shenanigan pirate ship and some beer. If you plan on going, please bring all your own food and grog and some food for the Saturday potluck. Costumes are highly recomended. Hopin ter see ya there matie, arrrr!

-Aaron