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CONTACT: JULIE McENROE
PHONE: (305)296-9694
E-MAIL: info@piratesinparadise.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/11/11

Ahoy! Mark Yer Calendar & Chart Ye Course for Key West’s 12th Annual Pirates in Paradise Maritime Heritage & Music Festival at Truman Waterfront & other Historic Island Venues!

11 Days of Swashbuckling Fun & Piratical Escapades - November 24 thru December 4, 2011

KEY WEST, FLORIDA KEYS... Avast Matey!  It’s time to chart ye course for Key West’s 12th annual Pirates in Paradise Maritime Heritage & Music Festival.  Pirate & maritime heritage enthusiasts, performers, re-enactors, artists & crafters and outdoor music fans are invited to join the fun, when Old Town’s Truman Waterfront is transformed into a Caribbean pirates’ stronghold of days gone by.  Opening on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, the 11 day Festival runs through Dec. 4, and celebrates the glorious days of sail & seafaring adventure and offers tall ship pirate sails, pirate encampments, music, storytelling, re-enactments, literary activities and live theater. 

This year we are pleased to announce the HELPLINE Pirate Carnival, Rides & Midway, which complements the Festival’s Pirate Village Market & Pub. The Pirate Village VIP Hospitality Area (FREE with purchase of 11 day Festival VIP (very important pirate) Pass and the Village Market Main Stage feature nightly dancing under the stars to big band swing & salsa, rock & roll, classic rock and southern rock with a tropical beat. The Festival’s Pirate Village is an ideal backdrop for family gathering, holiday party or other special occasions.

Featuring 11 days of swashbuckling fun, over 30+ special events are scheduled at the Truman Waterfront alone! The Festival’s Pirate Village features lots of pirate booty, food, vintage vittles and grog, as well as wares from some of America’s finest period artists and crafters...including exquisite handcrafted leatherwork, jewelry, pottery, glass, fibers, photography, and paintings. Outdoor stages feature non-stop entertainment and swashbuckling swordplay by national performance troupes! 

Festival favorites include the historically accurate re-enactment of the Pyrate Tryal of Anne Bonny & Mary Read, the hilarious Pyrates of the Coast’s Walk the Plank National Championships aboard the WOLF and International Pirate’s Hall of Fame Tall Tales Storytelling Competition.  Also returning is the Conch Republic Sailor’s Shipwreck Holiday Ball, Official End of America’s Hurricane Season Party & Most Buxom Wench & Bad Ass Pirate Contest.

New events include Thankstaken’ Pirates Party & Holiday Feast and Scurvy Crew Party & Feast of St. Nick (both events catered by Fausto’s and entertainment by Knot for Sail, the KeyRazy Band, Mary Spear and Bocca Musica, Admiral Finbar’s Down Island Music Jam, Best Dressed Pirate & Wench Contest, Miss Key West Pirate Pageant & Rock & Roll Dance Party,  ASTAAR for EQUINES Craft Beer Tastings and Big Band Swing & Salsa Dance Party & Feast…a tribute to birthday girl ‘Queen of Swing’ who turns 92 this year!

Pirate Village Admission is $5 for Adults and is FREE for children under 12.  Save money and purchase a VIP (Very Important Pirate) 11 Day Festival Pass for $20 -- and get FREE daily admission to the Pirate Village and Festival VIP Hospitality Area!

Sponsored in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, Pirates in Paradise Maritime Heritage & Music Festival also serves as a fundraiser for several local non-profits, including the Key West Maritime Historic Society, Key West Helpline, Inc. ASTAAR for EQUINES Quality of Life Fund, Project Lighthouse and St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen.  For more information and a complete schedule of Festival events, visit our website at PiratesInParadise.com, email us at Info@PiratesInParadise.com, or call 305.296.9694.



OVERVIEW OF FESTIVAL EVENTS

PIRATE VILLAGE & ART FAIR, CARNIVAL & PIRATE PUB TRUMAN WATERFRONT

  • LIVE MUSIC & DANCING UNDER THE STARS, TALL SHIP PIRATE SAILS, VIP HOSPITALITY AREAS
  • PERIOD ARTS & CRAFTS, FOOD, KIDS AREA, CARNIVAL RIDES, PIRATE RADIO 101.7FM DUNK TANK

SWASHBUCKLING SPECIAL EVENTS AT TRUMAN WATERFRONT

    • THANKSTAKEN PIRATE PARTY & FEAST CATERED BY THE TEAM AT FAUSTO’S DELI (11/24)
    • KID’S PIRATE COSTUME CONTEST (THURS 11/24 & SAT 12/3)
    • DANCE PARTY UNDER THE STARS (THURS 12/1)
    • SAILOR’S SHIPWRECK HOLIDAY BALL & PIRATE FEAST & SWING DANCE (SUN 11/27)
    • END OF AMERICA’S HURRICANE SEASON PARTY & DANCE (11/30)
    • MOST BUXOM WENCH & BAD ASS PIRATE AND BEST DRESSED PIRATE & WENCH CONTESTS (11/30)
    • CLASSIC ROCK & ROLL DANCE PARTY WITH LOUNGE LIZARDS IN PARADISE (THURS 12/1)
    • MISS PIRATE KEY WEST PAGEANT FINALS (TALENT & SWIM SUITE COMPETITIONS) (THURS 12/1)
    • PYRATE TRYAL RE-ENACTMENT OF ANNE BONNY & MARY READ (FRI & SAT 12/2 &12/3)
    • BIG BAND SWING & SALSA DANCE PARTY & HOLIDAY FEAST AND TRIBUTE TO ‘QUEEN OF SWING’ NORMA MILLER (FRI 12/2)
    • PYRATES OF THE COAST WALK THE PLANK COMPETITION ABOARD WOLF (SAT 12/3)
    • PIRATE ART 101 – COLOR ALONG WITH MASTER ARTIST DON MAITZ (SAT 12/3)
    • INT’L PIRATES HALL OF FAME TALL TALES STORYTELLING COMPETITION (SAT 12/3)
    • CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW LOOK-A-LIKE CONTEST (SUN 12/4)
    • SCURVY CREW HOLIDAY FEAST OF ST. NICK PREPARED BY THE TEAM AT FAUSTO’S DELI (SUN 12/4)
    • PYRATE CINEMA UNDER THE STARS featuring The Princess Bride (SUN 12/4)

LITERATURE & THE SEA RETREAT & ROBERT MACOMBER KEY WEST READER RENDEZVOUS

    • HISTORIC GLIMPSES TALK (11/28)
    • WALKING TOUR OF OLD TOWN (TUES 11/29)
    • EL MESON DE PEPE’S CARIBBEAN PIRATES DINNER (TUES 11/29)
    • AUTHORS, ARTISTS & HISTORIANS SAILS ABOARD WOLF (TUES 11/29 & WED 11/30)
    • AUTHORS, ARTISTS & HISTORIANS LUNCHEON AT PIRATE VILLAGE VIP TENT (WED 11/30)

    TALL SHIP SEA BATTLES & PIRATE SAILS ABOARD WOLF

    • AFTERNOON & SUNSET SAILS (11/24 thru 12/4)
    • CONCH REPUBLIC MILITARY SHOOT & SAIL ABOARD WOLF (12/1)

    PIRATE PUB STROLLS & PIRATE WALKING TOURS OF OLD TOWN KEY WEST

    • PIRATE TOURS OF KEY WEST (NIGHTLY)
    • ROBERT MACOMBER (11/29)

PIRATICAL ESCAPADES & SPECIAL EVENTS AT HISTORIC VENUES

  • QUEEN OF SWING’ ‘NORMA MILLER’S 92ND BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON at LA TE DA (FRI 12/2)
  • LA TE DA’S ONE EYED PIRATE’S TEA DANCE (SUN 12/4)

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    *photos by Poppa Tony Callahan, Callahan Digital Art, Barbara Trushaw, Christine Lampe, Francis Hui, Rob O'Neal, Carol Foldvary Anderson, Michelle Murillo, Kat Epple, & Myron Rosenberg