Call it The War of 2013, if you will. On Saturday, the Mariners’ Museum will attempt to host the largest-ever gathering of pirates, in the presence of a Guinness World Records official. If the effort succeeds, the United States will wrest the honor from England.
The Mariners’ believes the United States should be the holder of the distinction. While it’s true that most of the big-league pirates were British, it’s also true that the home turf for most of their pirate deeds was off the shores of North America. Besides, taking something that belongs to someone else – it’s what good pirates do.
The Mariners’ Museum is going to need help to claim the honor –from about 15,000 people. The record is held by Hastings, England, where the 2012 mark was set by 14,231 pirates for Hastings Pirate Day.
The Museum will attempt to break that mark on September 21, 2013 at The Mariners’ Museum Park, with its Pirates Pack the Park event. The event is in celebration of the Sept. 19 International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Pirates Pack the Park is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the official pirate count taking place at 2 p.m.
The attempt will be framed around a day-long pirate festival featuring a children’s area, food and drink vendors, live music and entertainment, crafts, pirate merchandise and a pirate re-enactor encampment. Participants will ride free shuttle buses to The Mariners’ Museum Park from satellite parking locations.
What constitutes a pirate? Simply, pirate pants or skirt combined with a white or striped shirt and a bandana or pirate hat. The finishing touch is an accessory item such as an eye patch, toy sword or parrot.
Admission to the Museum is only $5 for everyone on Sept. 21. Later that evening, the Museums hosts the Pirate Gala, during which the final pirate count will be announced. The Gala will include food, adult beverages and live music.
For more information on the pirate festival and gala, visit PiratesPackthePark.org.
The Mariners’ Museum, an educational, non-profit institution accredited by the American Association of Museums, preserves and interprets maritime history through an international collection of ship models, figureheads, paintings and other maritime artifacts. It is home to The Mariners’ Museum Park, a 550-acre park that includes the 160-acre Lake Maury and the 5-mile Noland Trail, and is the largest private park open and free to the public in the United States. For information, visit www.MarinersMuseum.org, call (757) 596-2222or write to The Mariners’ Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606.
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