My Review of Pirates in Paradise 2005

[Jib]

This post is just a few ramblings of my experience at the 2005 Pirates in Paradise Festival. The reason why I’m doing this is to help folks who may be in the same situation I was before I attended PiP. Everyone has questions, has expectations, sees and hears different things and wants to get an idea of what goes on at PiP. Now granted; this was my FIRST year and I’m not part of the cast or crew. I have no inside or back stage influences or experiences. My wife and I were just a couple of tourists dressed up like pirates and ready for fun. If you have a strong opinion please sound off. If you consider going in 2006 read on. If you have been to the 2005 Pirates in Paradise Festival or earlier years please share your tales.

I think it is best to do this post in 3 parts. First I’d like to talk about Key West and the Florida Keys in general followed by my review of the Festival itself and finishing with an over view of the experience as a whole.

Part the First

The Florida Keys are unlike any other place I have ever been. They are unique compared to the rest of Florida. A little more relaxed and perhaps a little more worn with age. My wife and I flew into Fort Meyers and drove down to the Keys. We stopped in the Everglades and made a general lazy dive to our first stop at Duck Key and Hawks Cay Resort. If you plan to drive in the Keys plan to take your time. The speed limit is lower (45-55) and there is a lot to see.

The first thing that hit me in the Keys was how much damage the hurricanes did. We saw tons of appliances in ruins along US 1. Trees stripped bare of leaves. Mobile home parks that looked like a giant stomped on them. I was later told that I saw only a 10% of the wreckage and that steady repairs and remolding is constantly going on. I’ve been told that many repairs are conflicting with new construction and that both have storage of man power and materials. Despite this fact the people seemed happy and relaxed. They were positive about the future.

Hawks Cay resort is something that would often be outside of our price range but my savvy wife found a good deal online and we booked two nights. The resort was charming. It had three restaurants, many heated pools (including one just for adults), a dolphin encounter center, a salt water pool, and tons of rooms, condos, time shares, rental properties, and private homes. Maybe a little to “tourist heavy” for many but we had a great time. The resort offers activities like deep sea fishing and sailing classes. My wife choose a sun set sailing cruise with champagne (her personal drink of choice) and it was a completely relaxing experience that I would do again. The staff was friendly and helpful and seemed to come from all corners of the globe. The food was excellent.

Key West greeted us with a hustle and bustle that seem foreign to the rest of the Keys. The island seemed packed with brand new developments being constructed along hurricane damaged properties. We stayed at a B&B called “The Key Lime Inn” in a small bungalow. It was centrally located on Truman Street just 3 blocks north of Duval. We dropped off our things and headed down town straight away! Key West has a very HEAVY tourist feel. I worked on tour boats to put myself through college on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin so I found the multitude of tacky T-shirt shops, Shell Emporiums, and Boat Drink cafes rather comforting. We also heard people speaking French, Spanish, German, and several Eastern European tongues both as tourists and as residents. The pace in KW was at a much quicker tempo than what we had seen so far in the keys. In many ways Key West reminded me of New Orleans when I visited back in 97’.

Now when we travel we do the things we like, be they “Tourist” or “Native”. I know some people hate to do the goofy tram cars or shop in the locations that cater to tourists. My wife and I just do what we want. We chose to see the Pirate Soul museum and Mel Fishers exhibit both of which I would highly recommend for pirates and history lovers. We ate at Cheese Burgers, Crabby Dicks, Margaritaville (wife is a HUGE Buffet fan), and Sloppy Joes. We had a drink at Captain Tony’s and saw the sun set at Mallory Square. One evening we enjoyed the Goombay festival which seemed to be a multi-ethnic celebration. We loved it all!

Things to consider when spending time in KW are that it is a tourist town and if you don’t like that type of atmosphere then you might not enjoy your trip. Tourists can be rude; We picked out a nice spot to watch the sun set at Mallory Square only to have a older heavy set woman stand in front of us and take pictures with a deaf ear to our pleas to move. The streets can become clogged with people who don’t seem to know or care where they are or where they are going. The city is bigger than many people would think and you can end up walking a long distance to reach various venues (since I like to walk this was a bonus for me!). Of course you can rent small electric cars, mopeds, and scooters to help you get about the environs. Most of Key West is expensive so plan to drop a good amount of cash at most restaurants (But you will receive some excellent service- my wife requested sliced tomatoes with her hot dog at Margaritaville and the server made certain she received them!). Also note that chickens and cats run wild in KW. They enter stores and roam about outside restaurants. Traffic is rather slow moving so take your time. Key West also has a good share of pan handlers.

Yes I looked at the book that said “Quit your job and move to Key West”; I didn’t buy it but the thought went through my head. Key West has tempted me. From the white sand beaches to the woman in thongs, from drinking cocktails on the street and listening to steel drums I felt the urge to dwell in the paradise of KW. Maybe someday.

more to come

[Maggie]

I loved reading your perspective of Key West...but what about your take on the actual Pirate Festival? I've been doing PIP for 7 yrs. and EVERY year is different...with various acting/reenacting /fighting groups...different music groups...different location.s..(started in Marathon) and I've always been part of the cast and crew to a certain extent, tho' my major responsibilty and talent has been photography...I liked some of the changes this year..the pub in the fort was great, Having red coats and the Lord Governor as antagonists to the pirates, was a good idea...I missed a lot of the old timers tho', The West Coast Mutineers weren't there, and Spyder and Jamaica Rose, Louis Lampe and Mad Eye Mitch weren't there...I missed the fight circles...There was some sword fighting, but much of it was up on the fort, and didn't seem to be scheduled...There was some great music provided by half of Empty hats, and the Budd Bay Buccaneers, The Tryal of Ann Bonny and Mary Read was fun, as well as the Key West Christmas parade, (despite taking down a phone line and losing a float due to a flat tire..)My favorite relaxation and photo ops at PIP have always been going out on the Wolf or one of the other ships to do battle, and I went out for 3 sails, so I was a happy pirate...All in all I had a great time, as did the people I stayed with...I met some great people from various corners of the country, got some great pictures, laughed and sang along alot... I won a water color by Don Maitz at the silent auction.

This year there was some changes in managing the fair, and I think next year it should be a little more organized...Saturday at the fort was hopping, but Sunday, many of the scheduled events never happened, and I'm thinking if I were a patron, I would not have been happy about that.

I also went to the Pirate museum while I was there, and was saddened to see all of the damage done by the hurricanes.. Key West is usually SOO lush and green with vegetation..But the weather was great, and while I almost didn't go because I hadn't gotten a comped room this year, I did end up with a free room due to the generosity of Scurvy Knockers and I'm definitely glad I went, and am looking forward to next year.

Maggie (aka Barb Trushaw)

[callenish gunner]

aye i missed going this year because of a car accident and a bit of a conflict with some classes i'm taking ....but i have to agree with maggie ...the place is lovely and for the most part the people residents and tourists are great bunch ....i do plan on coming down again hopefully next year and vending WEAPONS & MY ARTWORK ( I DO TAKE COMISSIONS....HINT-HINT!!) ....... still time for those gifts for twelfth night!!!

yes hopefully the whole thing will get sorted out in the next year so that it can be a place that more pirates want to come to ....we had a fantastic time last year with the get togethers and the activities at the fort and yes the sails are a required thing to get the full pirate effect

so here's to the crew i missed this year and here's to the crew that i hope to be part of for years to come

[Patrick Hand]

the Key West Christmas parade, (despite taking down a phone line and losing a float due to a flat tire..)

Yah.... but "bumming" and GETTING some Rum kinda made up for that....

The first thing that hit me in the Keys was how much damage the hurricanes did.

I rode Greyhound down form Miami, and was startled by all the storm dammage also..... Heard some tales from some of the locals that got flooded out, riding on the city bus (I still can't figure out which bus to take, so it's always an interesting adventure...)

Hadda great time (well Friday I was a little sluggish (hungover...)) but plan on going again next year.....

<Maggie..... I think Jib is doing his post in three parts..... that was only the first one......>

[Jib]

Part the Second

I remember fondly the first time I heard about the Pirates in Paradise Festival. I was looking about on the No Quarter Given site and saw the photos. Instantly I was hooked but with Key West so far away it was impossible to image attending. I sent the site to my wife and she became interested. Last year she ended up in Miami on business and drove to KW on a whim. Upon her return she said that we just had to do go. We budgeted and planned and made it happen.

My first experience with the Fest was while we waited to watch the sun set over at Mallory Square. Suddenly off to the distance we heard the crack of a black powder fire arm. After a few moments the tall masted sailing ship “The Wolf” rolled into view. Now that was impressive! The gun play between this ship and two others was exciting to watch and did attract the attention of the many tourists on the shore. Of course many of the tourists proudly stated that what we were seeing was a ‘booze cruise’ with a pirate theme. Maybe.

Later we decided to walk out to the site after arriving in Key West. We got a couple beverages at the Goombay street festival and took a walk out to the Fort. Now Key West doesn’t have the big bright lights of most cities so it gets dark, real dark. We found Fort Zachary Taylor with a few wandering pirates making merry amid the lantern light. Very scenic and intimate. We didn’t stay since we were in our street clothes and I was feeling a little shy. Just a quick peek and then back to the B&B to plan for the next day.

We headed out to PiP on Saturday morning at about 10:00 AM. We went in pirate attire more closely resembling the Hollywood version than one out of history. Plenty of people greeted us with cries of “RRRRR!” as we strolled along. The walk took us about 30 minutes roughly to walk to the Fort. As I mentioned before KW is much more spread out than the photos have you believe. We paid $3.00 to entire the grounds and $8.00 to enter the Festival.

The Festival takes place inside Fort Zachary Taylor. It fills about 2/3 of the space with tents and displays. The entire lay out is very nice and has a “Golden Age” period flavor. I have no idea what time period the Fort was built or used for (I’m guessing pre Civil War but not by much) but it is a cool site complete with a moat and some rocky coast line. During our exploration of the grounds we even discovered a skeletal pirate sculpture complete with a treasure chest. The Festival seemed to have about 300 – 350 attendees and staff. At least half were in pirate garb (and handful dressed as 1700’s era British Red Coats). I estimate the vendors between 16 and 20 in number and offering a wide array of items including pirate attire, jewelry, incense, crystal scrimshaw, pottery, art and few weapons. We bought some new garb for wonderful prices. There was a single a food vendor selling a healthy section of Greek styled foods. We split a chicken gyro along with beans and rice for under $10.00 and had a hard time finishing it due to the large portion.

Upon entering we arrived just in time to see “The Trial of Anne Bonny and Mary Read”, which was preformed inside the Fort and for free. I was later informed that this is the first time that all the events are held in the Fort. I think this was a real plus. The drama was very well presented and Casabel stole the show in his role of Tisdal the Tavern owner/ drunk. At 2 PM we got to see the pirates storm the Fort and replace the Red Coats as the Wolf patrols the sea coast. The Union Jack was lowered the and Jolly Rodger was flown. This show was nicely done. The poor Red Coats are the butt of much humor but take it all in stride. The black powder play between the two forces is both interesting and slightly comical with patrons and cast yelling “You missed!” after each cannon volley. Later we spent some time inside the Tapped Keg pub enjoying wine, beer, and song. This was very atmospheric and very nice especially after the sun went down when it was illuminated with candles and lanterns.

Highlights for me included donating blood next to Don Maitz in the blood mobile (Hey pirates are tough and don’t mind giving up the juice for those in need!), watching the sun set from the rocky shore, and speaking with all the fantastic vendors, patrons, cast, and playtrons who gave PiP it’s life. Honestly it is a small venue but this isn’t a bad thing. Honestly it made it more intimate. If you like big than you might be disappointed. But if you look about you do notice that at least half the attendees are in some sort of costume and that can make the setting. My wife commented constantly how nice the people are. You never had to look far if you needed help with someone to take your picture. I asked many people about their kit and weapons and was always treated with respect and enthusiasm.

At about 5 – 5:30 Pm the whole PiP experience winds down as people get ready for the Holiday Parade. We stayed behind in the pub and relaxed leaving at just before 8 PM. Upon returning to our B&B we noticed that the Holiday Parade was to travel right past the Key Lime Inn so we settled down with a couple from Fort Meyers also in pirate garb. We had a great laugh watching the parade and received a special warm greeting from the PiP pirates who invited us to the join them in the parade (next time buckos!). Altogether it was a nice time. The perfect way to spend a day in Key West.

More to follow…

[Jib]

Part the Third

Now I’m guessing that some folk who read this post are thinking to themselves “That wasn’t my experience at Pirate in Paradise!” or maybe they think I’m being a little too flowery/ soft and fuzzy/ nice in my review. Honestly it’s my take on PiP and I’d like to hear yours. What did you like the most/ least?

Did I have any complaints? Sure, nothing can be perfect. During my travels I saw plenty of ads for Fantasy Fest but almost nothing for PiP. I had hoped to meet Hurricane and his crew to get some pointers on running a pirate troupe to take home with me and apply with my own group. I wanted to see the Fight Circles since I do stage combat and they were just not happening except for a young fellow with a broadsword and shield (I think his name was “Whiplash”). I had hoped for even more pirates, I wanted to swim amid a sea of scalawags as if I was in Port Royal in 1666. I wanted to see and meet the “No Quarter Given” folks and perhaps scoop up a few back issues of their magazine. I wanted to experience street theater character interaction similar to a Ren Fest (oh, I know that can be dirty word “REN FEST”). I had hoped to fill my pantaloons with swag. None of this ruined my time or spoiled my experience.

My wife and I had a great time! We like small venues, we like intimate friendly places, we liked PiP. I loved meeting Cascabel and having him show me his flint lock pistol and belt latch. Cascabel is a super nice guy and very helpful. I liked spending time with Patrick Hand and exploring his kit. I liked meeting Spike and seeing his take on the broadside action between the ships. The people at PiP made the festival for me! Too often you find cliques at these types of events that remind you of High School (Only the COOL Pirates hang out here!). Not at Pirates in Paradise! I could have indulged along with the crowd as deeply as I desired. I found more doors open than closed. I was entertained by Chris the Magician in the pub. I was treated with such kindness by Don Maitz and his wife Jenny Wurst that I still am in shock (and Yes, Don is the best pirate artist in the world!). In my experience people don’t come together like this often. My tricorn is off to the producers of the event, the city of Key West, but mostly to the cast, crew, and patrons of PiP!!!

Things I noticed: The crowd was a mature one, both costumed patrons, crew, staff, and vendors. Many folks tended to be known only by “Pyrate” names. The events seemed to happen at a rather slow pace and sometimes not at all. The Festival has room to grow. Humor ruled the day.

So you are considering giving PiP a try. Good for you! I’ll be back. Maybe even next year. There is a ton of things I need to do in and around Key West. I still want to sail on the Wolf, see the KW graveyard, and visit Hemmingway’s house.

A special THANK YOU to Cascabel, Angela, Patrick Hand, Spike, Don Maitz, Jenny Wurts, and Hurricane (for the advice and suggestions). Stand deliver!

What is your take on PiP 2005? How does it rate compared to the last 8 years?

[hurricane]

Ahoy Jib,

So sorry we missed you there! PiP is indeed a very fun festival - it's very welcoming of all walks of piratical life - re-enactors to casual pirates for a day. We've had a grand time there. Unfortunately, we were in Jamaica this year, delivering some new pirate and wench uniforms to the Morgan Harbor Resort in Port Royal. So we while we weren't there in person we were in another pirate realm, and there in spirit.

We missed all our friends and loved seeing the photos.

If you want some advice, PM me and I'll be happy to share all my crewe running experiences. Learned a lot over the last 20+ years of being in, creating and running crewes. Would love to be of service to you and your mates as well.

And if you want some information about Port Royal, I can provide that too. We're considering a festival there in 2007, similar to PiP.

-- Hurricane

[Cascabel]

Ahoy to ye, Jib, and thanks for the kind words. Great report, and great meeting you !!!!

PiP was under new management this year, and they were sort of feeling their way along about how best to do it. In the past, it has been far more intense. I look for it to be considerably better next year, as things fall into place.

Hurricane, Shipmate, sorry you were not there. I would have enjoyed hanging out with ya.

>>>>> Cascabel

[Maggie]

I agree with Cascabel, when you're in good company, it sorta doesn't matter if events don't go as scheduled.. I still had fun...but for the patrons sake....I mean you want them to be satisfied... and this festival has been going on for awhile, and it's still an intimate venue..I like that about it too, but at some point it needs to pay for itself. .. Again next year should be better organized

To compare this to the last 8 yrs??? Wellll...It started in Marathon, and the first one I went to in 1997 it was May, and it was HOT..but we had Pirates Royale to sing for us, Time Foolery, basically the old Ringling Chessmatch group to do Fight Circles, every hour, and a few Miami Chessmen, and I think Arthur was there..Michael Marzella, Jim Greene, Scott Auld, Pat Johnson...all very experienced, very funny improv actors, and we basically entertained ourselves all day long.. We had very few patrons....There was a fight circle, then go listen to singing and drink...try to stay cool... They had a dunking game there, and that was very popular...It had to have been 100 degrees, and there was precious little shade on the site. We had a wench auction., and a firing range for shooting black powder, an invasion on a ship Fri evening away from the site, and a smaller invasion at the site... announcing the crews, and reading of the articles..... Kirk Simpson played Calico Jack, way over the top and cracked everyone up..at 5 or 6 pm it was done, and we were on our own.

I was staying with friends in Big Pine for that one..I was pretty new to it all then ,but I made some new friends and I've been a fan of Pirates Royale ( and the Pirate festival )ever since. No Quarter Given has some pics of that year on their site. I'm not sure exactly when PIP actually started...The year before they were on Pigeon Key...I've heard that was a really fun year....I may try to find some old photos and post them.

The event is actually much bigger now than it was then, and I'm always amazed at how many people come from so far away to be there. Maggie

[Patrick Hand]

Is there a place or a web page that we can post ideas on how to make PiP even better......

Not critisizing..... PiP is so much fun..... but if there was someone to contact.... hey... the Tavern could use some props..... UPS be sooooo cool bout sending stuff cross the US..... like I said...I enjoy PiP.... wanna do something to make it even better...... ( I fly out from California.... so if I make some props for the pub... I'd have to UPS them out....). imagine it.... the pub, with banners, pictures.... all kinds of stuff to make it look right.... and the guys running it can't do it all... so "we" can do our part.... donate cool Pyrate stuff......

And I have to thank them for lending me the tent poles..... didn't have to chop down any trees to set up me lean to........

[William Brand]

I am with Patrick on this one. Donations would help the Friends of the Fort considerably. Already, they are looking for more pirate reenactors to join them in the fort next year.

If anyone would like to donate items, you can contact Captain Shea, who recently joined the Pyracy Pub. You could donate all sorts of items including:

Wooden tent Poles

Rope

Canvas

Tents

Barrels

Casks

Bottles

Fishing nets

Lanterns

Benches and other period furnishings

Costumes

Tent stakes

Serving ware

Nautical props

Weapons

[callenish gunner]

been piecing together a whole new outfit to come and sutler at key west for next dec. i will have a couple of tents and weapons for m'self and others and will probably have a lot for sale as well .....blades and flints .... the only thing i won't have will be shot ...got t' keep it family friendly :) and i'll make sure i bring an extra 2 dozen candle lanterns (& candles) for the pub to use....

[William Brand]

My camping experience at Fort Zachary Taylor.

When we arrived at Pirates in Paradise, we were almost immediately assisted in setting up our camp. A place was given to us quite near the stage and we were able to put up the tents without difficulty. Having brought only the canvas part of the tents, we made rounds to borrow tent poles. We had expected to either purchase poles at a local hardware store, or make them, but we were lent everything we needed from either the Friends of the Fort or the vendors there. One vendor gave us tent poles to keep, which we later donated to the fort.

Next, the Friends of the Fort allowed us to dig up a section of turf in order to make a fire pit. We carefully set side the dirt and the sod to be replaced after the event. The fire proved to be a wonderful place to spend the evenings, especially considering the great number of shooting stars and the regular visitors from other encampments.

As far as weather goes, there was a fairly continual breeze during the whole event, but since this only helped keep things cool on the hottest of days there, it was most welcome. It rained only once for the briefest of moments. There were no mosquitos or sand bugs of any kind. However, we did see our share of dragonflies.

All in all, the camping was wonderful. I highly recommend it. However, to be fair I must list the pros and cons.

Cons:

We had to wake numerous times to tend the fire. We would damp the coals, but random (somewhat drunken) pirates would drift by and restart our fire and then leave it unattended. One very tipsy lass raided the garbage can for food and then dumped a stack of paper plates on the fire and walked away. I had to get out of bed to keep the bits of burning, floating paper from spreading into random tents. This was infrequent, but one had to be mindful of the fire.

We had to lug a tent all the way to Florida. And period tents tend to be bulky and heavy. I recommend a light tent like Patrick's lean-to.

There was much more late night noise from town than I expected. And there are hundreds of roosters on the island.

Showering was problematic.

Pros:

Almost no bugs at all.

Electricity was available. So was water.

Great camping atmosphere inside the fort.

The soft grass required no pad or significant ground cloth.

The weather was consistently good.

The night sky is not to be missed.

The bathrooms were clean and within a short walking distance.

Everyone was friendly and the staff on site were very helpful.

Most of the events were very near the fort.

The parade was a great deal of fun.

Close access to town and outside events.

Changes for next year:

The fort needs more reenactors to camp inside, but I am told that there will be more soldiers encamped there next year. Actually. the event needs more participation over all. There was not enough hustle and bustle of pirates, especially at night. Too many pirates left the site to do their drinking and eating in town.

Still, in the end, I would highly recommend the event. The pub was wonderful. It had some incredible acoustics that enhanced the singing and instruments played there. The cannon firing was fun. The staged battles were entertaining, though they could be larger.

I had a great time.

[Fairies and Dragons]

Hi All and a very Happy Holidays all from PIP. Any and all help will gladly be accepted and if you all have any suggestions or donations please feel free to e-mail me at fairiesanddragons@hotmail.com

Hugh: just a simple not you were severly missed this year and there will be no excuses accepted for next year..... See you in Ohio for our next pirate festival in Cleveland....that is right pirates invade the tall ship extravaganza on Lake Erie in July. Call me please my phone went for a swim in the pool at Sarasota.... I also have another pirate festival in Oct in Boynton Beach.

Happy Holidays all Vicki

[callenish gunner]

placing m' order for various and sundry flintlocks and other weapons and a new tent to sutler from so i'll be ready to be there next year and perhaps a few other venues before pip as well

just look for Vagabond Armoury!!! and let me know you heard it here first!!!

[Jib]

Perhaps Lady Vicki would like to start her own thread about ideas for PiP 2006 along with her e-mail?

[Patrick Hand]

PiP be sooo stinking and *ucking cool........ ye gots ter go there,,,, and we are going ter make it even better (the people who run it be so stinking cool.....)

Dang.... PiP is th' Pyrate thing ter go to..... (and I love Ojai... but it's a renn faire taken over by pyrates....PiP be a Pyrate Faire... and it be growing.....)

Aaaaaargh.......

And I fly all th' way from California ter get thar........(the Greyhound buss through the keys be interesting.... BUT I GOT THERE....) and you can also...

Key West or Diegos Los Vegas bit...... one year Pyrate thing...... Key West has the place.......

[Jib]

Another note: My wife just got an item that she won in the silent auction. A one of a kind glass picture. Just came in the mail. It rests upon our mantle. My wife just loves it. Things like this you don't find just anywhere.

[Captain Jim]

Post a etchin' o' yer swag, lad. We other pyrates wants t' see it.

[Jib]

see what I can do.

[Silkie McDonough]

Thank you all! This is exactly what I needed! I'll be there this year. How can I not after reading this! The decision has been made ...now the tough part, making the plans.

[William Brand]

Thank you all! This is exactly what I needed! I'll be there this year. How can I not after reading this! The decision has been made ...now the tough part, making the plans. :angry:

Step one. Buy unrefundable plane tickets so you are painted into a corner.

Step two. Go to PIP.

After Step one it's easy to go.

[Pirate Petee]

[LadyBarbossa]

Welp... after Will hotly tellin' me about PiP '05 immediately upon his return... now I be eager t' go!

Eager to meet lots of ye. Since I be chattin' with a good amount of ya... I wants t' meet ye face t' face.

An'... I do plan t' camp there at th' Fort. Just like Will did. Campin' is always rather fun.

[hurricane]

Hi All and a very Happy Holidays all from PIP. Any and all help will gladly be accepted and if you all have any suggestions or donations please feel free to e-mail me at fairiesanddragons@hotmail.com

Hugh: just a simple not you were severly missed this year and there will be no excuses accepted for next year..... See you in Ohio for our next pirate festival in Cleveland....that is right pirates invade the tall ship extravaganza on Lake Erie in July. Call me please my phone went for a swim in the pool at Sarasota.... I also have another pirate festival in Oct in Boynton Beach.

Happy Holidays all Vicki

I have been asked to relay a message from Julie, Festival Director for PiP.

In the future please direct all suggestions, comments and certainly donations directly to info@piratesinparadise.com.

Vicki is no longer associated with the festival in any capacity and cannot act on its behalf.

Thank you!

-- Hurricane