Pirates to carouse, battle at Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree this weekend

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The island is preparing for yet another pirate invation this Friday to Sunday (Oct. 27 to 29) for the Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree.

This  is actually the seventh attempt for this jamboree as major storms, Hurricanes Irene, Sandy and Matthew, canceled three of the scheduled events.  Barring a major change in the weather patterns, the Pirates are heavily favored to break the 3 to 3 tie. 

Ocracoke is one of the few places with authentic Blackbeard history as the brigand was slain here Nov. 22, 1718, off Springer’s Point.

The Jamboree kicks off at 3 p.m. with a keg tapping of two Heavy Seas beers at Zillie’s Island Pantry, 538 Back Road.

The Ocracoke School Halloween Carnival that afternoon and evening in the gym will start at 3. 

Brigands Bazaar, a market place of local and regional artisans, will set up Friday afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m. and all day Saturday on the front lawn of the Wahab House, adjacent to Berkley Manor. Among the artisans will be regional artist Doug Hoover, who created special art for festival T-shirts.

Later, the professional pirates will attend “Meet the Pirates” Friday at 7 p.m. in the Ocracoke Community Center and will include Capt. Jim’s Magic Show, the Motley Tones and a Blackbeard quiz show led by N.C. historian of the year (2014) Kevin Duffus, who will host a game show, “Will the Real Blackbeard Stand Up.” 

Admission is $5; adult refreshments will be available.

The centerpiece of the Jamboree is a historically accurate pirate encampment featuring several pirate reenactment crews from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 28) on the Berkley Manor grounds.  Among the crews reenacting life in the 1700s will be the King’s Rangers militia, the Shadow Players, the Canon Crew, the Sword Conservancy, Presenting the Past with Michelle Murillo, the Colonial Seaport Foundation, Capt. Sinbad of the Meka II and crews of the skipjack Ada Mae, the Ranger and the Beaufort Oars.

Trick-or-treating for kids will start in the encampment at 4:30 p.m. (There will be no trick-or-treating in the village that day.)

The main Saturday event will be the re-enactment of “The Battle at Ocracoke,” at 2 p.m. Saturday on Silver Lake. Three ships will re-create the last hours of Blackbeard and his crew at the hands of Lt. Robert Maynard with swords clashing and cannons blazing.

During the day, Community Square will host songs by the Motley Tones, gumbo from Ocracoke Oyster Co., food from Ocracoke School fifth grade, and the Jamboree information booth selling official festival T-shirts and merchandise. Duffus will conduct a talk on his Blackbeard research in Community Square at noon.

A raffle of a customized golf cart to benefit Ocracoke Youth Center will be held Saturday afternoon at SmacNally’s, one of the festival’s beer gardens.

Ocracoke Oyster Co. will host a Shadow Players sword fight at 5 p.m. Saturday ollowed by Capt. Jim’s Magic Show inside with table-side magic at 7 and a stage show at 8 p.m.

The Bawdy Beer Garden with the Motley Tones (adult-oriented) will be Saturday night in the Ocracoke Bar & Grille.

Sunday, Oct. 29, will conclude with the pirate march at 10 a.m. to Springer’s Point for a ceremony commemorating the fateful battle.   All are invited to join the pirates for a lunch afterward at noon in the Ocracoke Oyster Company.

Public parking is available at the NPS Visitors lot at the south end of the island.

The complete schedule of events is below.  In case of inclement weather, visit the Jamboree’s Facebook page at Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree on Ocracoke.

2017 Schedule of events
In case of rain, visit Facebook: Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree on Ocracoke, for updates.
Schedule subject to change at the last minute.

Friday, Oct. 27

3 pm: Zillie’s Island Pantry, Back Road.  Freakin’ Firkin Keg tapping
3:30 to 10 pm: Ocracoke School PTA Halloween Parade & fundraising Carnival, Ocracoke School gym (all invited)
4 to 6 pm: Brigand’s Bazaar Twilight market: Wahab House lawn.
7-10pm: Meet The Pirates! Ocracoke Community Center. Family-friendly fun. $5 admission; beer, wine, snacks
                  7 pm:      The Motley Tones: Rollicking good music and fun
                 7:45 pm:   Captain Jim’s Magic Show: Tall tales of his peg-leg history. Amazing illusions!
                  8:30pm:  “Will the Real Blackbeard Please Stand Up?”  Interactive game show hosted by historian/author Kevin Duffus.

Saturday, Oct. 28
ALL-DAY EVENTS–10 am-5pm:
At the Pirate Encampment on the Berkley Manor grounds

 Pirate Life

See what coastal life was really like during the 1700s.  Living history exhibits, tavern games and pirate skits. Displays include:
–Shipboard medicine and health
–Naval weapons
–Seamanship and Navigation: Rigging, knots, etc.
–Pirate society and sociology
–Period Cooking
–Period Crafts and Clothing
–The largest private collection of historical pirate artifacts from Port Royal
–A Cannon-making display by an armory artisan

Colonial Fishing Life
–18th-Century Fishing Methods to include preservation by salting and smoking
–Net sewing/making, trap making
–Rope working will also be displayed: handmade rope twisted with natural fibers such as coconut and yucca.
–Period cooking and sewing by hand

Naval Combat
–Introductory lessons in cutlass fighting – Come into our ring and receive an introductory lesson on how to fight with a cutlass using plastic or padded cutlasses.
–Learn to fight a pirate – Come into the ring and participate in a 3-point bout against one of our pirates using a padded, foam cutlass

Militia Life
–Militia Sailor’s life camp display- Personal gear and bedding, cooking and training. period tents large, 4 A wedge, HQ fly, and Flags
–Followers Camp- Women’s role in Militia life
–Boxing the Compass- interactive demo on compass points.
–Earth Oven – Oven made from clay, sand, and grass, with a baking demonstration.
–World-famous artist Christaphoria Robeers, author of “The Quite Voices of the Outer Banks.”
–Spinning- producing wool for clothing. How it is made and dyed for cloth.
–Colonial Games- various games played interactive with kids.

Brigand’s Bazaar on the Wahab House lawn (next to the encampment): A marketplace of seafaring crafts & wares.

ELSEWHERE Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm:

–Beer Gardens: SmacNally’s on the waterfront; 1718 Brewing: Ocracoke’s own craft brewery, the official Jamboree beer. Ocracoke Youth Center. Village Thrift.
—Festival information booth, T-shirts, souvenirs. Hot, homemade gumbo by Ocracoke Oyster Company, food by Ocracoke School fifth grade. Community Square:
—View the pirate ships on Silver Lake harbor: The Meka II, The Ada Mae, The Ranger, a Coast Guard Cutter.
—Roving minstrels throughout the day.

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS:
10 am: The King’s Rangers muster Cannons fire as we kick off a Great Festival with a grand salvo from their cannons! Drills Pike, Cutlass, and Cannons. Wahab House dockside
10:30 am: Sword-fighting demonstrations in the pirate encampment with TSC Pirates; pirate battles with real cutlasses and sabers in pirate and Royal Navy styles in non-choreographed duels, and ship-boarding with edged weapons.
11 am: The Shadow Players: Swashbuckling excitement in an interactive show for the entire family. Community Square
11:30am: Meet Blackbeard!  Hear his side of the story and there may be swordplay. Community Square
Noon: “What Was Blackbeard Doing at Ocracoke?” Author and historian Kevin Duffus will reveal the notorious pirate’s plan in late November 1718. Community Square
1 pm: Sword-fighting demonstration with TSC Pirates in the Encampment
2 pm: The Battle at Ocracoke! Watch the fierce ship-to-ship Battle of Ocracoke that determined Black Beard’s final fate. Cannons roar as three ships re-create that fateful day. Great Views all around Silver Lake and NPS Docks.
3:30 pm The Motley Tones: Sea chanteys, pub and sailor songs. Community Square
4 pm: Sword-fighting demonstration with TSC Pirates in the encampment
4:30 pm All-Hallows Eve trick-or-treating for kids. Pirate Encampment only. (No trick-or-treating in Ocracoke Village.)
5 pm: The Shadow Players stage combat group. Ocracoke Oyster Company
7pm: Capt. Jim’s Pirate Magic Show. Ocracoke Oyster Company. Table magic at 7 pm, stage show at 8 pm
8pm:  The Bawdy Beer Garden. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: An informal, round-robin of bawdy songs.  This show is rated PG-17 for mature audiences.

Sunday, Oct. 29
10am-Noon: Springer’s Point Memorial Service for those killed in Blackbeard’s last battle. The march begins at Blackbeard’s Lodge, Back Road.  Join with the pirate and militia crews march to Springer’s Point to honor those who perished on that fateful day. Pirate ships fire a cannon salute just off-shore.
Noon- 1:30 pm:  The Pirate Lunch in Ocracoke Oyster Co.  All are welcome to sit down with our pirate crews and enjoy a great meal and more fun!