Down East Pirate Days

"Success!" cried the Governor as the gates of the festival closed last Labor Day Weekend.

And his words could not have been closer to the truth. Down East Pirate Days came to a close at 6:00pm on September 2, 2007 as Pirates from all over New England and beyond dispursed into the fading daylight leaving the coffers of the Make-A-Wish Foundation a bit more full.

The two day Labor Day Weekend event that took over Harbor Park in Rockland, Maine raised approximately $1,500 dollars for Make-A-Wish. Locals, Tourists, Performers and Merchants alike, all loosened their purse strings to benefit the very noble cause.

Late Friday evening, ships bearing pirates from as far away as Long Island, New York slipped into Harbor Park. By the time daylight broke over the Rockland Breakwater, the park was littered with pirate encampments and small groups of privateers walked the grounds.

As the days went on, pirate performers displayed their art on stage as pirate entrepeneurs sold their art and wares from the scattered tents. Suddenly, cannons sounded from the harbor as a pirate ship rounded the point and made their way to shore, challenging the Governor for his treasure.

Blades clashed and soon the upstarts were left without weapons and the Governor's treasure was left intact. Once the assembled crowds settled down, they were privy to the trial of the two famous female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Both were found guilty, but an unforeseen development kept them from the gallows.

As pirate musical groups continued to play and sing into the evening, the crowds dispersed feeling they had stepped back in time to the Golden Age of Piracy and lived to tell the tale. And once the final doubloon had been counted, Governor Gumbatz proclaimed for all to hear...

Harbor Park, Rockland, Maine - August 23-24, 2008

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