Pirates Invade Bald Head Island, Help Support Old Baldy
Pirates returned to Bald Head Island this year to help celebrate Old Baldy Lighthouse and raise money for its preservation. In a weekend-long event coordinated by the Old Baldy Foundation and in honor of National Lighthouse Day, pirates encamped at the foot of the lighthouse and filled the island with their swashbucklin' sights and songs.
This year's festivities, which were sponsored in part by Bald Head Island Limited, included an island-wide treasure hunt, a pirates' boutique featuring everything from eye patches to doubloons, and a pirate-themed game park. The new School for Scallywags, which quickly sold out, taught kids to walk, talk and act like a pirate. In addition, Blackbeard's Crew challenged the crowds with pirate trivia and lore, while the Rusty Cutlass Pirate Band entertained with sea chanteys and pirate songs.
One of the most popular events of the weekend was the Pirate Pub Night at the Harbourside Pavilion on Friday, which was near capacity with 250 adults and 125 children in attendance. Captain Sinbad's arrival on the Meka II kicked off the evening, which also featured entertainment by Rusty Cutlass and Captain Jim the Pirate Magician, as well as a live "booty" auction. Another well-attended event, Pancakes with the Pirates, saw nearly 130 people at the Bald Head Island Club.
"The weekend was a huge success all around," said Chris Webb, Executive Director of the Old Baldy Foundation. "The new events we added this year were a big hit."
With the enthusiastic support of over 100 volunteers, the pirates and the Old Baldy Foundation raised money and awareness for the preservation of North Carolina's oldest standing lighthouse all while having a "jolly" good time.
