SEATTLE — Argh, matey! Stash your loot and bury your treasure because the Seafair Pirates will be landing this Saturday at Seattle’s Alki Beach.
Their ship is scheduled to arrive around 1:30 p.m. – so keep your ears open. The sounds of cannons will be the hint that they’re on their way.
Once their ship – Moby Duck has landed – the pirates will storm the beach in full costume to steal the key to the city and stop for photos.
“The annual Alki Beach Landing is our favorite day of the year as a pirate—and we have a few tricks up our sleeves this year to make it even more memorable,” said incoming Captain, Big Owl in a news release. “We love storming the beach so’s to dig up our treasure. And our attorney has instructed me to promise not to kidnap any kids this year and share some of our treasure with them. . . . But I can’t guarantee safe passage to the adults!”
Owl said that those brave enough to attend should be ready to walk the plank.
And rumor has it, the pirates might share some of their treasure.
“We wont leave the beach until every kid has a chance to interact with a pirate,” Big Owl told KIRO 7 News.
The History
The landing is a tradition that spans 76 years.
“We are well-known in this community, and to be asked to be a member and participate with a great group of guys is really an honor,” Buddha the Pirate told KIRO 7 News.
In 1949, the younger members of the Washington State Press Club’s action committee, the Ale & Quail Society, founded the Seattle Seafair Pirates. The members of the Society then joined together with other community leaders to create Seattle’s first Seafair festival in 1950.
The Seafair Pirates are led by Captain Kidd and Davy Jones. Captain Kidd is elected by the Ale & Quail Society to lead their pirate operations. Davy Jones, an honorary Seafair Pirate, is chosen from the Seattle community to sail with the Pirates for one year.
The Pirates
This year’s crew is 42 pirates deep.
“We have an incredibly diverse group of guys, we have a former police chief, lawyers, firefighters, garbage truck drivers, laborers, computer tech people, it’s a completely random collection of guys and we all just love hanging out together,” said Big Owl.
“It’s a true brotherhood of guys you may not normally hang out with but we’ve gotten close and have a lot of fun doing it,” Buddha told KIRO 7.
Anyone who is interested can apply to be a pirate – just submit your application here and if you meet the qualifications, you’ll get the call.
“It’s really about entertaining children of all ages, and that includes the 90-year-olds we see and the little bitty ones we see too,” Budha said.
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