There were sweltering wenches and mateys aplenty as temperatures soared into the 90s at the second annual Vero Beach Pirate Fest, presented by the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce, POTTC Events and Pirates of the Treasure Coast. A portion of proceeds benefited the Vero Beach Lifeguard Association and Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach.
The weekend’s festivities were based out of Riverside Park and began Friday, topped that evening with a special Pirates Ball and costume contest, where feathered wenches and sword-carrying pirates preened for the judges and vied for bottles of rum.
On Saturday the River Explorer pontoon traversed the Indian River Lagoon, shuttling festival-goers on a lovely ride between Riverside Café and Royal “Rum” Pointe, where they could seek their own bounty at a Vero Beach Art Club show or wet their whistles at an Island Rum Party at the Pointe.
A soft breeze under Riverside’s shady oaks, where most of the swashbuckling action took place, made the heat tolerable and crowds enjoyed shaded tent seating for the entertainment – Bawdy Boys combined raucous jokes with pirate shanties, A-Tribe filled the air with drums and didgeridoo, and The Craic Show with pipe and drums.
Young families wandered through pirate-themed vendor, historical and reenactment tents, played in the little buccaneer zone, and indulged in pirate fare such as dragon toes and dragon balls (chicken fingers and meatballs). Adult partiers began bellying up to the multitude of bars in the afternoon, where everything from ales to grog was available.
Professional pirates stayed in character throughout the festival to the delight of children. A Pirate Quest game had them searching for clues from blue-tattooed crew members to find out who had made off with the captain’s treasure.
“Everybody just loves dressing up and being a pirate,” said Captain Daniel Red, a full-time pirate. “If you look at each pirate, their true person inside comes out in how they are dressed.”
There were also sword fight demos, pirate battles and, on Sunday, a Treasure Hunt, but the biggest hit was the cannons and small arms demonstration. Excited children lined up, waiting to help set off cannons that boomed loudly and spewed smoke while fighting the gun-toting pirates of the opposing crew. Some little mates covered their ears, but the more adventurous clapped their hands in glee and rushed off to get back in line to do it again.
“I always thought it would go well here because we are the Treasure Coast,” said Jeff Zachary, one of the organizers. “Our heritage is gold and jewels that were spilled in the 1715 Plate Fleet wreck. I wanted to have everybody know why we are named the Treasure Coast. A pirate festival is a good way to do that.”
He was referencing the Spanish Treasure Fleet that was carrying gems, silver, pearls, gold and 1,200 shipmates from Havana to Spain. The fleet lost 11 of 12 ships along our coast to a July 1715 hurricane, and while much of the treasure was recovered by the Spaniards, fortune hunters continue their quest for its remaining bounty.
