CELEBRATE OUR 10th YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN KEY WEST!

Set sail for the 10th Anniversary of Pirates in Paradise in
Key West, Nov. 28 - Dec. 6, 2009

The Fort Taylor Pirate Fest is scheduled for Dec. 3-6, 2009

9 Days of Pure Piratical Escapades Celebrating Key West's Rich & Colorful Maritime Heritage

Raise Yer Flag, Grab Yer Mate and Join Us in Celebrating the Golden Age of Sail
& Seafaring Adventure!

Avast, me Hearties! It's time to chart yer course for the Isle of Bones...Cayo Hueso as Key West and the Conch Republic welcome the 10th Annual Pirates in Paradise Festival. Pack up yer cutlass, don yer garb, grab yer mate and join us for a full week of mischief and merrymaking that features a host of swashbuckling events for buccaneers and wenches of all ages!

Top-name quality entertainment and historic re-enactors, improvisational actors, and combative stunt men from around the country (including Cascabel, whose portrait by Don Maitz is the artwork for our Festival program cover) are set to invade the island for a host of pure piratical escapades. As you stroll the streets of Old Town's colorful seaport taverns and pirate pubs such as Schooner Wharf Bar, Pat Croce's Rum Barrel at Pirate Soul and the Green Parrott or visit Fort Zachary Taylor's Pyrate Fest and Village Market (Friday thru Sunday, December 4 - 6), don't be surprised if you run into the likes of Anne Bonny, Bawdy Be, Braze, Cascabel, Sir Henry Morgan, The Pyrates of the Coast, the Bone Island Buccaneers (Key West's own pirate crewe) and other nefarious Brethren of the Coast.

When the sea is finally in your veins and you want to take to the sea, the Schooner WOLF, the flagship of the Conch Republic, is ready to take you out on the water. Aboard the WOLF, you'll be able to experience life upon the sea, complete with pirates, cannon fire and small arms fire. Sailing with Captain Finbar is a true Key West experience and during the festival, the public can join Captain Finbar and his scurvy crew of pirates aboard the Schooner WOLF for Tall Ship Sails and Pirate Attacks (the WOLF will be docked at the Historic Seaport.)

Pirates in Paradise is more than just pirates! Celebrating the city's maritime history and heritages, you can learn more about the ghosts that once walked these streets, tour a historic submarine hunter, the USS Mohawk, which signaled the start of the D-Day Invasion, celebrate the end of Hurricane Season with the traditional burning of the hurricane warning flags, and mingle with well known artists, writers and entertainers who have helped create and keep alive the mystique of Key West, including Sandra Riley, Don Maitz, and the "Queen of Swing" Norma Miller.

If you're in the mood to test your own piratical skills, participate in the 5th Annual National Walk the Plank Championships where the Pyrates of the Coast let you sample the beautiful waters of Key West as you are forced to walk the plank of the WOLF. Or venture over the the fort and enter the 2nd Annual Bone Island Buccaneer Pirate Olympics and see if you can master the skills of a pirate. Both are hilarious fun, whether you're participating or simply enjoying the competition.

No festival is complete without our re-enactment of the historical trial of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, the two most famous women pirates in history. The tryal, which will take place in the Old City Hall, lets you step back in time to experience a real tryal of pirates. The ending will surprise you, to be sure.

At the fort, pull up a seat at the beach encampment or in the period pub in the fort to hear tales of the seas, spirited chanteys and sample fine ales, honey mead and period rum punch. It'll seem so real to you that you'll be sure you've been transported back some 350 years to the time when pirates ruled the Caribbean.

This year our own Conch Republic Navy USO Girl - and one of the stars of the Pyrate Tryal of Anne Bonny! - 'Queen of Swing' Norma Miller turns 90. This is her 10th year of returning to Key West to celebrate her birthday with the pirates and this year Norma is bringing along Lou Ragland's World Famous INK SPOTS to help celebrate! Norma and the INK SPOTS will be making guest appearances at many of our special events and on Sunday, December 6 they invite you to join them at the CLOUD Night Club in Old Town Key West for a special Variety Show and Concert.

Looking for lodging accommodations and reservations for our nautical excursions? We can help. Just give us a call at 305-296-9694.

The Pirates in Paradise Festival has its many swashbuckling sponsors to thank, including CommuniCreations.com, Callahan Digital Art, Pirate’s Choice Rum, Schooner Wharf Bar, Pat Croce's Rum Barrel and Pirate Soul, El Meson de Pepe, Ambrosia Key West, Cypress House Historic Inn, Days Inn Key West, Courtyard by Marriott, The Reach Resort, Westwinds Inn, Fairvilla Megastore, Sunlion Jewelry, Sebago Watersports, Pepsi Refreshment Services, the Conch Republic Group (including ConchTV.com and KeysTV.com), the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, Double Tree Grand Key, Island 107 FM, The Event Network, Fort Zachary Historic State Park and the Florida Park Service.

To all our volunteers, pirate entertainers and crew...THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS A TRUE PIRATE GATHERING! Our annual Key West Pirates in Paradise Festival would not be the success it has become without your support and ‘behind the scenes’ hard work.

A special thanks to our volunteer event organizers who include the crew at Fort Taylor Historic State Park; Robb 'Hurricane' Zerr and Michelle ‘Diosa’ Murillo and the crew of Pyrates of the Coast; Captain Spike, Portside Tom and the rest of the Bone Island Buccaneers and our other local pirates for organizing the Fort Taylor Pyrate Fest & Village Market.

Kudos to our marketing & media partners Robb 'Hurricane' Zerr and Michelle ‘Diosa’ Murillo of CommuniCreations.com for website management and marketing; Fayma & Tony Callahan, Callahan Digital Art for the awesome posters and flyers; to Don Maitz and Michael Noles for the beautiful pirate artwork; and to No Quarter Given, Pyrates Magazine, The Conch Republic Group (ConchTV.com and KeysTV.com;) WISS Island 107 FM and our other media sponsors for helping us get the word out; and Captain Finbar and the scurvy crew of the Schooner WOLF for providing adventure on the high seas!

We also thank our pirate performers and tall ship crews who will be providing swashbuckling entertainment and adventure on the high seas and on land, including The Pyrates of the Coast, The Bone Island Buccaneers, Callahan Crewe of the Sacred Heart, Cascabel, Cutter’s Crew, Braze, Bawdy Be, Dead Eye Rick the Greek, the crew of the Archangel, Liberte' Sparrow, Captain Crudbeard & Lady Barbara, the Archangel Crew, The Mercury crew and all of the re-enactors who have gathered from around the world.

We also wish to express our gratitude to Admiral Finbar and the crew of our Flagship WOLF; and to the rest of the fleet of the Conch Republic Navy.

We have plenty of fun-filled piratical activities lined up...so mark your calendars for Nov. 28 through Dec. 6 and plan to set sail for Key West and the 2009 Pirates in Paradise Festival!

-- Julie McEnroe, The Event Network and Festival Director