Captain Kidd Pirate Festival

[blackjohn]

My friend David, the brains behind the Howard Pyle Festival, is part of a team working on a new festival for 2010, to be held at Fort Delaware State Park (location of two episodes of Ghost Hunters), and with any luck to include the Kalmar Nyckel. Here's the original message...

Hello,

It seems appropriate to announce on the 10th anniversary of Ye Pirate Brethren web forum [note - it was actually the 10th anniversary of the mail list] that Delaware State Parks is planning a new pirate festival for 2010. Almost ten years ago, the Brethren of the Coast [also note - actually, at the time we were going by the name Brethren of the Bay] helped make the two Howard Pyle Pirate Festivals popular successes. We now hope that you will join us in celebrating this new event which is tentatively named "The Captain Kidd Pirate Festival."*

Lee Jennings and I planned the Howard Pyle Festivals and are working together again to create the Captain Kidd. We are just in the initial stages at this point, but we have high hopes that this could be the best festival we've put on yet. Unlike the Howard Pyle events, which were held at Cape Henlopen State Park, we plan to hold the Captain Kidd at Fort Delaware State Park http://www.destateparks.com/park/fort-delaware/index.asp which features a huge granite fortress with a moat on an island in the middle of the Delaware River. There's lots of room for activities and events and we believe that its central location will help draw not only local visitors but people from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, and even further afield. We also have a tentative commitment from the owners of the 17th century ship, Kalmar Nyckel, to participate. The Kalmar Nyckel was a central part of our earlier pirate festivals and was always a hit.

This will not be an historical reenactment - with an early-17th century ship and an American Civil War fortress, how could it be? But it will be a fun weekend where we celebrate Delaware's pirate heritage and everyone is invited to come dressed as their ideal pirate. And of course, there will be the three key elements for a successful event (food, music and things that go BANG!) in abundance.

Fort Delaware is located on Pea Patch Island, which can only be reached by ferry from both the Delaware and New Jersey sides of the river. The park office is in Delaware Citiy, Delaware and we hope to involve the town in the celebration too. This is a a quiet little village with narrow streets and a green park next to the riverfront. There are a number of eateries in the area, including a good restaurant/bar, Crabby Dick's, for those who'd like a little pre- and post-event celebration or just a break from the usual pirate fare of salt horse and biscuit. The Kalmar Nyckel will probably dock very near to this restaurant. There are some hotels within driving distance, but those of you who would like to are welcome to camp out on the island or sleep in the fort during the event weekend. Before you volunteer to sleep in the fort, remember that it was featured twice on Ghost Hunters.

This is our first public announcement of the Captain Kidd Pirate Festival, but you are welcome to help spread the word that we are working on this. We are recruiting pirates and plan to invite the Sea Rats as well. It would be nice to garrison the fort with something appropriate - does anyone have any ideas?

And that is where we are with the planning. We haven't even chosen a date and hope that you can tell us which days to avoid - we'd hate to conflict with another major event and I know you folks have a better handle on this than we do. So let me know if you like the idea, think you might want to participate, when you think it should be, what you would like to see and to do at the event (other than the normal eat, drink, fight and flirt). What would make this a dream weekend?

Best wishes,

David Rickman (Four-eyed Davey)

As things take shape I'll post more.

Yrs&c,

Blackjohn

[Jamaica Rose]

My friend David, the brains behind the Howard Pyle Festival, is part of a team working on a new festival for 2010, to be held at Fort Delaware State Park (location of two episodes of Ghost Hunters), and with any luck to include the Kalmar Nyckel. Here's the original message...

Hello,

It seems appropriate to announce on the 10th anniversary of Ye Pirate Brethren web forum [note - it was actually the 10th anniversary of the mail list] that Delaware State Parks is planning a new pirate festival for 2010. Almost ten years ago, the Brethren of the Coast [also note - actually, at the time we were going by the name Brethren of the Bay] helped make the two Howard Pyle Pirate Festivals popular successes. We now hope that you will join us in celebrating this new event which is tentatively named "The Captain Kidd Pirate Festival."*

BlackJohn - This sounds great. If you can, please pass my email address to David, so he can send details (when they are settled) to me to post in No Quarter Given. <jamaica@noquartergiven.net>

Also, he should contact Richard Zacks (author of "The Pirate Hunter", well-documented and interestingly written biography of Cap'n Kidd), to see if Richard would like to be involved. Richard lives in New York, so is somewhat in the vicinity. I have phone number and email for Richard and can pass messages.

Thankin' you kindly,

--Jamaica Rose

[blackjohn]

I'm always hesitant to give people's info out unless they volunteer it... and David has... so...

David W. Rickman

Interpretive Media Specialist

Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation

152 South State Street

Dover, DE 19901

Tele: 302-739-9187

Cell: 302-388-5605

Email: david.rickman at state.de.us