Tall Ships Festival Saturday; Day Sails Start Thursday

Strolling entertainers Carol & Malcolm serenade at last year’s Tall Ships Cape Charles Festival

By JOAN PRESCOTT

June 9, 2014

Avast me hearties!! Get your pirate gear on and head on down to Cape Charles Town Harbor June 14 and 15 for the third annual Tall Ships At Cape Charles Festival. This year’s festival will be the best yet, so come early (gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.). With so many fun things for the whole family folks will want to spend a day or the entire weekend.

Mix and mingle with real pirates and the costumed crews of three historic tall ships, Privateer Lynx, Schooner Serenity, and Kalmar Nyckel. Tour the decks. Take a day, sunset or pirate cruise on the Chesapeake Bay.

Hear the cannon roar when the ships return fire from a troupe of shore-based pirates, The Moody Crewe, representing the Golden Age of Piracy (1680-1730), who will hold free land-based kids’ pirate schools on Saturday and Sunday and a pirate costume parade and contest Saturday at noon.

Take a pirate sail aboard one of the tall ships. The Schooner Serenity is offering Captain Mayhem Pirate Adventure Sails three times daily on Saturday and Sunday. Kalmar Nyckel will host Pirate sails with Pirate tales, scavenger hunts, and the raising of the Jolly Roger. All three tall ships have afternoon or evening sunset cruises both days. In advance of the festival, the Kalmar Nyckel and Lynx are both offering three-hour day sails and private company or group charters Thursday and Friday, June 12 and 13. The Kalmar Nyckel will also host educational tours for school groups on Thursday from 9:30 – noon. Reservations are recommended; visit www.tallshipscapecharles.com for times and to book your cruise.

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A colorful troupe of Elizabethan re-enactors from Historic Interpretations, Inc., Raleigh, NC, spectacularly recreates life of the 16th Century providing fun, hands-on activities of both the everyday life of the times and the romance, ambiance, intrigue and pageantry of nobles and royals when knighthood was in flower. The troupe presents demonstrations and displays of weapons, food, beverages, gaming, worship and knights of the realm.

There will be non-stop music and entertainment ranging from sea shantys by strolling maritime singers, Bob Zentz, Gus the Bardic Troubadour and Carol and Malcolm, to lively sets by Three Sheetz, Loaded Goat, the Cape Charles Band, Heather and Nathan, Don Fogle and the Waterfront Band.

Kids can make and sail their own model boat, or ride a pony while Mom and Dad check out dozens of vendors. The Festival Marketplace will offer arts and crafts for sale including art prints by Katherine Kiss; art messages by What If; jewelry by Lauri Fisher, Creations by Chris, Mint Spring Designs and Chesapeake Jewelers; The Doll Closet; clothing by Sheriq Boutique and Capricious Clothing; Greenwood Stained Glass and L&B Lighted Bottles.

Rising high above all the festivities, you can hitch a ride on a helicopter for a birds eye view of the tall ships, Cape Charles Harbor, and surrounding environs.

Tall Ships At Cape Charles Festival is managed and organized by Eastern Shore Eventacular, Inc., a non-profit organization presenting free and low cost shows, events, exhibitions, demonstrations and festivals for the education, enlightenment and enjoyment of the citizens of and visitors to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This year’s festival is sponsored by Cape Charles Yacht Center, Northampton County, the Town of Cape Charles, Bay Coast Railroad, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, The Shanty Restaurant, Aqua/Kings Creek Marina, and Blue Heron Realty. Funding partners also include the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Citizens for Central Park, Cape Charles Renewal, Arts Enter Cape Charles, Northampton County Chamber of Commerce, and J.T. Holland/State Farm Insurance.