Pirates Week kicks off on Friday the thirteenth
(CNS): Unlucky or not, what maybe the last ever national festival under the pirate moniker gets underway tonight (Friday 13 November) with the George Town Street party, the Pirate Costume Competition, Miss Festival Queen Costume Competition, fireworks and the National Song competition sponsored by Digicel. Whether this is the last Pirates Week is still in question but for this year at least the pirates are here and ready to party. UPDATE: the 5km swim set for Saturday morning has been cancelled.
Police said from 5:30 on Friday evening they will be closing various roads in George Town.
Harbour Drive / Fort Street junction will be closed as will Boilers Road, South Church Street junction, Shedden Road at Royal Bank Goring Avenue / Harbour Drive junction and the Hard Rock, Harbour Drive junction and Cardinal Ave / Albert Panton Street to facilitate the festivities.
Tomorrow, from 12:30 pm Memorial & South Church Street Boilers Road & Walkers Road the exit of Kirk Parking Lot & South Church Street, the exit of Kirk Parking Lot & Goring Avenue , Goring Avenue & South Church Street, Fort Street & North Church Street, Mary Street & Fort Street, Shedden Road & Mary Street, Dr. Roy’s Drive & Edward Street , Edward Street & Fort Street at Town Hall and Elgin Ave.& Hospital Road will all be closed to accommodate the pirates landing, float parade and street dance.
Heritage Days this year start in East End on Monday, West Bay on Tuesday, North Side Wednesday, Bodden Town Thursday and George town on Friday which will include the steel band competition.
For full details of all the pirate antics and capers visit www.piratesweekfestival.com
Category: Local News
After that weekend I can’t wait for next year’s Cayman Culture Festival. Who needs pirates when you have Caymanian culture to entertain us? I am drooling at the thought of rope making exhibitions and, er, well, more rope making exhibitions.
ouch that hurtno wonder pirates pillaged if they felt like this in the morning
awesome fireworks
This had to be the most attended Pirates Week in many years! This tells me that between the Cayman people and Tourists, Pirates Week is getting more popular, yet ONE man wants to do away with it – Pure MADNESS! Isn’t it obvious that if someone likes something they want, so it shows the people want Pirates Week and not some other Festival. Pirates Week is Unique to The Cayman Islands and we should not let some Dictator walk in and destroy something WE, the people of Cayman have taken so long to build up. Even in our economically straped Island (and World) the people came out in droves which should send a strong message to McKeeva Bush to "leave well alone". But you know, certain people don’t take well to rejection, so all the Thousands of peoples cries will be ignored asusual. I hope not!
The people’s cries will only be ignored if the people choose that to happen.
After last night’s fun I am definitely tempted into a life of piracy, brigandry and sin.
Funny you should say that. It’s what happened to me many years ago. I’ve never looked back.
Yeah mon. Ya know, it’s funny that during the course of plundering the entire Caribbean and most of South America, some were seen as pirates while others were seen as "nation builders". If pirates spoke to us now they’d probably say they were doing them a favor by lightening the loads for the long ocean voyage of the "nation builders". Aye! And so they did.
Should pirates have been feared? At least pirates left their treasure locally.
I wish I could find some.
I’m so glad pirates week had the desired effect rock on Tim.
Oh, ok Tim, thanks for your answer to my question. So it is indeed drinking, dancing, dressing up in fancy dress and general debauchery and rock and roll.
I’m not a Christian-in fact I would ban all religions if I could. I was just curious to know what pleasure you and others got from this so called national festival.
Aargh..so glad you’re happy Tim, lad. You be aware of the Black Spot that Blind Pew etc etc etc etc…………….
Great! Looking forward to it. At least we will have one more year of our beloved Pirates Week as we know it before it is torn apart and renamed to please the churches, some of whom are no more saintly than the pirates were by the way.
Well said. Should be a good weekend.
Hopefully ‘Jesus the Jew and the hypocritical bible bashers’ week next year will be as good!
Long Live Pirates Week – join the "Save Pirates Week" group on Facebook.
If the current government thinks that visitors will come to Cayman for "Heritage Week" they are sadly mistaken.
Ask Disney how many families have been on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. Ask them about the 2.7 Billion grossed (so far) on the movies alone.The Pirate theme is hugely popular for families worldwide.
Think of all the local families, not to mention businesses who depend on Pirates Week for income.
Shame on the current government for caving to the radical religious right.
No one is suggesting that we are descended from pirates.
Fight to keep Pirates Week.
Have an ‘Arrrrggghhhh’ for me.
I am gutted not to be with you, but I am stuck in the UK and NOT happy.
Please keep Pirates Week so I have a chance next year.
You would have thought that as much as Mike Lockwood did for Pirates week that some mention would be made of him. Even to have a float called THE MIKE LOCKWOOD FLOAT. Ever since his death Pirates Week had to be cancelled because of the weather .Regardless of the name change people are going to call it Pirates Week, just like Cable and Wireless, we will never get accustomed to saying Lime.
Yes, no matter what official name they try to give it, most of us who grew up with Pirates Week will call it that anyway – I know I will!
Mr. Mike Lockwood did good work when he was hired to lead the festival and I can assure you that he is not forgotten but I am sure that a Mike Lockwood float would be the way to honour him. I can think of many other people who should also be honoured, e.g. Mr. Colin Panton, Mr. Jim Bodden who along with Mr. Cardinal DaCosta were the brainchilds of Pirates Week. I agree that it would be fitting to honour them in some way and we should all give some thought to that and make suggestions!
Tim:
Exactly what is it you miss about not being able to be here for Pirate’s Week? It’s a genuine question. Some of us are totally unable to understand what people see in it. It can’t just be the booze as that’s available all year round.
Sorry… You haven’t any pirate potential ARRRGHH!!
But we are looking for plank volunteers
I’m not Tim and so can’t speak for him but I think the other person who replied to him said it well,
"It is an important part of our history and something that we enjoy, Caymanians, expatriates, tourists and other visitors alike. This long standing festival allows us to come together as one people".
I think that is exactly what it is that excites people about this festival! We can all get dressed up and pretend we are pirates or wenches and have a great time doing so with our friends and family, and it is also a great opportunity to meet new friends.
And, by the way, I do would hate to see this festival changed because of religious notions.
Tell you what, let’s swap.
Last night was the kick off and it is too bad you were not here to see the fireworks and enjoy the usual atmosphere of comraderie and jovial spirits! Sorry, but I just had to say that!
Yes, I do hope we will keep "Pirates Week" – our theatrical week of make believe. I also hope that the people of Cayman will come together after this and demand that the Premier and his croonies leave this festival alone. It is an important part of our history and something that we enjoy, Caymanians, expatriates, tourists and other visitors alike. This long standing festival allows us to come together as one people and it would be robbing this community of an historical and enjoyable event to discard it, because of the religious opinions of a few. I am a Christian and I suggest that the Churches should get together and start their own festival to counter whatever evil they seem to see in our national festival, Pirates Week. I go to some of these churches and see the attitudes and hypocrital behaviour, in fact I grew up withit, and it is my opinion that the focus should be in correcting some of those behaviours in our churches rather than disbanding Pirates Week. To do so will only add more hard feelings to our already strained social fabric.