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The event, which was born out of a meeting from the 300th anniversary of Rock Hall (or the tri-centennial), is part of the Greater Rock Hall Business Association’s calendar. “We were meeting about the tail end of the tri-centennial events, trying to come up with ideas for things to do after that,” says Suzanne Einstein, whose husband came up with the idea for the Pirates and Wenches Fantasy Weekend. “He said ‘Everyone loves to dress up as pirates for Halloween, why don’t we do a pirate event?’ It was just kind of a kooky idea and it took off, way more than we expected.” Never heard of it? Think: the Renaissance Festival of peg legs and treasure chests. Its first year, the event saw incredible success. “We had no idea that it was going to be that popular,” says Einstein. “And it’s been just been popular ever since.”
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The Fantasy Weekend schedule is chock full of events and entertainment for the mature mates and the little sea rovers, offering an escape to a weekend of make-believe and swashbuckling fun.
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The song says, “Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum,”—but how about a taste or two? Participants can experience that and more on Friday, August 10th, as the weekend kicks off with a rum tasting at the Inn at Osprey Point. Or if you’d rather warm up your vocal chords the old-fashioned way (or is rum the old fashioned way?), check out the “Sea Shanty Sing-a-long” at the Bay Wolf Restaurant from 7 to 10 p.m.
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Don’t let the rowdiness get the best of you, as you’ll want to rest up for a full day of pirate-filled fun on Saturday. One of the top attractions for the weekend—throughout all of which, full costumes are encouraged—is the dinghy flotilla, a parade of small boats, canoes, and kayaks all vying for the “Best Decorated” award and to win the “Graybeard’s Trophy,” named for the event’s fictitious gray-bearded mascot. Following the parade in the harbor, attendees can enjoy a Caribbean-style “Plunder Party” on the beach, including food, drinks, prizes, and live entertainment that includes a line-up of local bands. Off the beach, enjoy street performers, a variety of vendors, and a general mix of mayhem and merriment sure to entertain.
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On Saturday evening top off your frocks at the Grand Buccaneers Ball, where pirates and wenches can dance the night away to live music, and the best dressed contend for the titles of King and Queen of the ball. Gentlemen who’ve crafted an interesting, particularly long, or otherwise awesome gray beard can compete for the “Gray Beard Lookalike” award. And meanwhile—with the bicentennial of the War of 1812 upon us—an event new to the Fantasy Weekend will be taking place down at the bulkheads. “The Maryland National Guard is going to be doing a concert, followed by fireworks, a cannon barrage, and the Star Spangled Banner, to kind of commemorate [the bicentennial of] 1812,” says Einstein. “It’s sort of Rock Hall’s little way of creating awareness for that, so that’s going to be a cool thing.”
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Throughout the weekend, mini mates can enjoy games, crafts, treasure hunts, face painting, knot typing, storytelling, and other kid-friendly activities.
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There’s only one thing to ask yourself: Argh ye going to attend?
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For more information on this booming Rock Hall tradition, visit RockHallPirates.com
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Photos by Karly Kolaja
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