Kate McNally plays several times this month on the island.
Thursday, Nov. 5 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Authentic Latin Music 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 Ocracoke Oyster Co.: Martin and friends 6:30 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Rando Musicians 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Gaffer’s: St Francis Band 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 Howard’s Pub: Ocracoke Jazz Trio 7 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Authentic Latin Music 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Gaffer’s: St Francis Band 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Kate McNally 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10 Gaffer’s: Hatteras Island Poker League (free Texas Hold ‘Em poker) 7 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Quirkys Blurky Friends (Bluegrass from Hatteras Island) 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Kate McNally 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Authentic Latin Music 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Rando Musicians 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Gaffer’s: Charlie and the Foxtrots 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 Ocracoke Oyster Co.: Martin and friends 6:30 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Authentic Latin Music 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Gaffer’s: Charlie and the Foxtrots 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Kate McNally 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 Gaffer’s: Hatteras Island Poker League (free Texas Hold ‘Em poker) 7 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Quirkys Blurky Friends ( Bluegrass from Hatteras Island) 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Kate McNally 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Authentic Latin Music 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Rando Musicians 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Gaffer’s: Roman Sams 9 p.m.
The Roman Sams will play at Gaffers this month.
Saturday, Nov. 21 Ocracoke Oyster Co.: Martin and friends 6:30 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Authentic Latin Music 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Gaffer’s: Roman Sams 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Kate McNally 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24 Gaffer’s: HI Poker League 7 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Quirkys Blurky Friends (bluegrass from Hatteras Island) 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25 Ocracoke Oyster Co.: Martin and friends 6:30 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Kate McNally 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 26 THANKSGIVING Gaffer’s: Thanksgiving Buffet Noon to 6 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Authentic Latin Music 7:30 to 9:50 p.m.
Martin Garrish and various friends will play during the month at the Ocracoke Oyster Company
Friday, Nov. 27 Ocracoke Oyster Co.: Martin and friends 6:30 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Rando Musicians 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Gaffer’s: The Chit Nasty Band 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28 Ocracoke Oyster Co.: Martin and friends 6:30 p.m. Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Authentic Latin Music 7:30 to 9:50 p.m. Gaffer’s: The Chit Nasty Band 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30 Ocracoke Bar & Grille: Kate McNally 7:30 to 9:50 p.m.
FOOD & DRINK EVENTS
Ocracoke Bar & Grille Sundays: NFL Ticket, 2 for 1 wings and $1.00 Baja Tacos all day Gaffer’s Sports Pub: Nov. 26 Thanksgiving Buffet Noon to 6 p.m. Every Monday is Fajita night Every Tuesday free poker at 7 p.m. Every Thursday Prime Rib and rib eyes night Salad Bar now back Zillie’s Island Pantry, Back Road Wine Tastings Saturday, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Week, Nov. 25 and Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. Hours: Monday to Thursday, 1 to 7:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday, 1 to 8 p.m. Reservations at Zillies.com
ART OPENING Down Creek Gallery will host its last artist opening for the 2015 “Expose Yourself to Art” series, showcasing new photography by Melinda Fodrie Sutton from 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 25. Music by Raygun Ruby.
The North Carolina Press Association/NC Press Services board of directors has unanimously accepted the Ocracoke Observer’s request for membership as an online news site.
“The board felt the online paper met the qualifications of legitimate journalistic principles and add value to the goals of the organization,” said Laura Nakoneczny, member services director.
We are pleased we meet their high standards for reporting, commentary and cultural features for membership. Our affiliation with this prestigious association and the many newspapers throughout the state will help us provide news that is important to Ocracoke.
We wish to thank our writers for their contributions over the years, our advertisers and our many friends who have made great suggestions and have helped us with the newspaper.
We want to especially thank two consultants, Jock Lauterer, director of the Carolina Community Media Project and senior lecturer at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the author of “Community Journalism: Relentlessly Local,” andJames Grimaldi, investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal and formerly of the Washington Post where he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 2006 for his work on the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.
The North Carolina Press Association is a member-owned and operated non-profit association established in 1873 to protect First Amendment freedoms, promote the business interests of North Carolina newspapers and maintain high standards in the industry. It works to protect the public’s right to know through the defense of open government and help maintain the public’s access to local, state and federal governments.
Peter Vankevich and Connie Leinbach, co-owners of the Ocracoke Observer. Photo by Ruth Fordan
Founded in 1999, the Ocracoke Observer was purchased in 2014 by Peter Vankevich and Connie Leinbach, who also is the editor.
The Motley Tones entertain at the Bawdy Beer Garden Saturday night in the Ocracoke Oyster Company.
By Connie Leinbach
Fair weather brought thousands to Ocracoke Halloween weekend to bask in Blackbeard’s wake.
The third annual Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree in honor of the infamous pirate was the reason.
“This fun event comes at a time when business has slowed down,” said Daphne Bennink, one of the event organizers and owner of The Back Porch Restaurant. “The Jamboree made this weekend not just a decent weekend, but a great one.”
Owing to great weather, this was the first year organizers had a true benchmark of what the event can be, she said.
“The conditions lived up perfectly for a best-case scenario.”
Most lodging establishments on the island were sold out of rooms. Sara Clark of Edward’s of Ocracoke said all of their rooms were booked. “We had a fair amount of folks here specifically for the festival and they all enjoyed it,” she said.
The event is hosted by the Ocracoke Civic and Business Association which formed the organizing committee.
This year should have been the “fifth annual” jamboree, but the first year had to be canceled due to Hurricane Irene and the second year by Superstorm Sandy. The first jamboree finally got launched in 2013 to an enthusiastic turnout and response, and last year’s event, though it occurred, was hampered late Saturday afternoon with the arrival of a strong nor’easter.
Sword fighting by the Shadow Players in Community Square
Among the attractions was Kevin Duffus, awarded the 2014 Historian of the Year by the North Carolina Society of Historians. Duffus dispelled many of the myths about Blackbeard in presentations he gave in the Community Center and Community Square.
Laura Noel, also known as Madame Grace, master gunner with Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew of Hampton, Va., the living-history group that recreates Blackbeard’s time in history, noted that they had more visitors in the camp on the Berkley Manor grounds than ever before. She said one of her friends had been on the island, but left Saturday (before the event) and could not find a room up the beach until she got to Nags Head.
“The event is all about igniting peoples’ imaginations,” Noel said.
Her partner, John Collamore, who portrayed Lt. Robert Maynard, Blackbeard’s nemesis, this weekend, said the mystique of portraying the pirate era is that it blends many different types of individuals.
“We have sailors, coopers, blacksmiths and others,” he said.
All of the reenactors in the encampment teach about the history of the time, from navigation, weaving and cooking to medicine and hygiene.
Jo Cannon of Beaufort in her period tent in the Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew encampment on the Berkley Manor grounds.
Along with Blackbeard’s Crew, several other pirate crews and players descended on the island, such as the Shadow Players Stage Combat Group, the Motley Tones, the Ada Mae and Capt. Ben Bunn, Capt. Horatio Sinbad of the Meka II, the Beaufort Oars and The King’s Rangers (a Sea Scouts group).
One couple, Jo and Carl Cannon of Beaufort, were the only players to actually camp in the encampment in their hand-made tent and period accoutrements.
The couple has been doing living history for 25 years, Jo said, and was invited by Blackbeard’s Crew to join the Ocracoke event.
Corey Aiken, Lisa Wrightson and Tim Aiken, all of Gloucester, Va., attended the event to discover parts of their own history.
One of the pirate crews is Captain Ben Bunn and the skipjack Ada Mae, which doubles as Lt. Robert Maynard’s boat during the “Battle of Ocracoke” in Silver Lake.
“The thing that brings us here (for this weekend) is the history,” Wrightson said. “The Ada Mae was named for my great grandmother by my great uncle Ralph Hodges who built it.”
Chip Stevens of Ocracoke and one of the Jamboree organizers with Lisa Wrightson, Tim Aiken and Corey Aiken, who discovered they are distant relations with Stevens through a common ancestor of John Williams of Ocracoke in 1750.
Tim Aiken, whose costume was “the ghost of Blackbeard,” learned that he and Chip Stevens, one of the event organizers, were distantly related through their ancestor-in-common, John Williams, who was here on the island in 1750.
As Lt. Maynard while on the skipjack Ada Mae and who captured Blackbeard during Saturday’s ship battle in the harbor, Collamore said he saw more people on the docks watching than in previous years.
Corky Pentz, owner of the Harborside Motel, said there were three times as many people on the street as last year.
“The motel was sold out three months in advance,” he said.
Amy Perrin of Pittsburgh, Pa., came to the island especially for the jamboree.
Amy Perrin of Pittsburgh came to Ocracoke especially for the Pirate Jamboree.
“This is amazing,” she said Saturday afternoon as she watched the Motley Tones minstrels perform in Community Square.
Since the day was warm, Perrin made a bright spectacle in her parrot costume—a sleeveless, red sequined dress and rainbow-colored, full-length wings. “I’m a Pittsburgh Pirate parrot,” she quipped about her costume.
Natasha Jackson of Cary, N.C., was researching and filming the reenactors.
“I’ve been following them around and doing research on the pirate subculture,” she said.
Later on Saturday, visitors and their kids participated in trick-or-treating along Lighthouse Road.
Islanders join in the trick-or-treating on Lighthouse Road.
A mix-up with the stated timing for trick-or-treating brought more visitors than locals to the houses on Lighthouse Road so that some places ran out of candy early despite the fact that the Jamboree committee purchased extra candy and handed it out to the residences along the road.
“We ran out of candy by 4:30,” said Trudy Austin. “But it’s a learning curve. We’ll be a little more prepared next time.”
Austin, who works at the Variety Store, shared a booth with John Simpson for her photography and fig preserves and John’s painting and decoys at the Brigands’ Bazaar on the Wahab House property.
“We did well,” she continued. “Everyone I talked to was busy,” she said about the local merchants. Business was definitely up. We were busy at the Variety Store.”
Kim Meacham, one of the committee organizers and a vendor of her hand-crafted soaps at Brigands Bazaar said the vendors did well with a constant stream of visitors.
“I did well,” added Beth Fleishaker of Kill Devil Hills, who sells her hand-crafted wares called Seacatchers. “I couldn’t get away from my booth to see the rest of the festival.”
The event concluded Sunday morning with the March to Springer’s Point for a memorial for the fallen Blackbeard, his crew and the sailors of the British Navy on Nov. 22, 1718.
The Battle of Ocracoke in Silver Lake Harbor on Saturday. Photo by Natasha JacksonMadam Grace starts the memorial Sunday for those fallen in the battle between Lt. Robert Maynard and Blackbeard Nov. 22, 1718, off Springers Point.Brenda Kremser and Trisha Davis keep a tally of the trick-or-treaters on Lighthouse Rd., handing out candy to 281 kids.Trick-or-treating at the Island Inn on Lighthouse Road.
The monthly meeting will take place via teleconferencing equipment in the Hyde County Government Center Multi-Use Room (30 Oyster Creek Rd, Swan Quarter) and in the Ocracoke School Commons (120 Schoolhouse Rd, Ocracoke). The public is invited to attend.
The agenda and packets for the Monday, November 2, 2015 Hyde County Board of Commissioners meeting are now available to the public. Clickhereto view the documents.
County Manager Bill Rich will provide an update on the Hatteras ferry tolls propostion
To see more profiles in the Birds of Ocracoke series, click here
Setophaga palmarum
Text and photos by P. Vankevich
This is a streaky bird with a light eyeline and a bright yellow under tail. In breeding plumage, it has a rusty cap which is not normally visible when on the island.
There are two subspecies, Eastern Yellow Palm Warbler which is more colorful with yellow underparts and the Western Palm Warbler which has a whitish/gray breast Both have bright yellow undertail-coverts. In both subspecies sexes are similar, often indistinguishable in the field. Both the Eastern and Western subspecies may be seen on Ocracoke.
Palm Warblers can be identified in the field and separated by the Yellow-rumped Warbler by the constant bobbing of the tail. Another less common species that is similar on Ocracoke that bobs its tail is the American Pippet.
Palm warblers breed in open coniferous bogs east of the Continental Divide, across Canada and the Northeastern United States.
Both subspecies winter primarily in the Southeastern and Gulf Coast regions of the United States, especially Florida, as well as the West Indies and Eastern Mexico down to Belize.
A bird of thickets and open areas, they are usually seen foraging low or on the ground which makes them an easy bird to observe when present.
The song of this bird is a monotonous buzzy trill. The call is a sharp chek.
During the breeding season, they feed primarily on insects from foliage while perching or while hovering momentarily in black spruce, tamarack, and cedars. They will also fly out to catch flying insects in mid-air. In fall and winter they add seeds, fruit and bayberries to their diet.
On Ocraoke they peak in large numbers in fall, especially through October. They arrive before the massive invasion of the Yellow-rumper (Myrtle Warblers). By the Christmas Bird Count on Ocracoke in the last days of December, they are few in number.
Listen:
Palm Warbler call note:
(Audio provided courtesy of OhioLINK Digital Resource Commons)
When to see: fall, especially October and early November, diminishes afterwards, possible in spring, but unusual.
Where: In the dunes, soundside marshes, pony pasture, campgrounds, South Point Rd.
In spite of its tropical name, this bird breeds in bogs and fens in boreal forests of Canada and the northern United States.
Palm Warblers will flock in small numbers in the fall on Ocracoke. I once counted 7 in my yard near the Lighthouse in the first week of October. They may also be part of mixed flocks that include Yellow-rumped Warbles, Eastern Bluebirds, and Chipping Sparrows.
Michelle Murillo with her authentic Port Royal artifacts. She will be part of Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew encampment on the Berkley Manor grounds on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Michelle Murillo.
Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree is setting up today.
By Connie Leinbach
Mary Read was one of two well-known women pirates in the late 1600s, and Michelle Murillo is carrying on her legacy.
“She was a large, in-your-face woman who wanted to live, and lived her whole life as a man,” said Murillo, who is a living-history reenactor at this year’s Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree.
The Jamboree kicks off today (Friday) at 7 p.m. in Community Center with a “Meet the Pirates” event, continues all day tomorrow, including a three-ship battle at 1 p.m. in Silver Lake, and concludes Sunday with the March to Springer’s Point where all the re-enactors remember the demise of Blackbeard off the waters here Nov. 22, 1718.
This year’s festival T-shirt sports a pirate woman in honor of the women pirates back then.
Back then, women had it tough, said Murillo, who has a booth at the pirate encampment on the grounds of the Berkley Manor.
They couldn’t own property and if they didn’t have a husband, they had very few options.
So, Mary, who had been born in England and was raised as a boy by her mother, earned a living as a man.
Mary Read killing an antagonist. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
She joined the British Navy and also then Army where she actually fell in love with another soldier. They married, and Mary was woman for two years until her husband died.
Though still in the military, there was no work “when peace broke out.” So, she jumped a merchant ship and traveled to the New World and went into to piracy.
“She was very good at it,” Murillo said.
Michelle Murillo as the pirate Mary Read. Photo courtesy of Michelle Murillo
According to Wikipedia, Mary Read (c.1690-1721) went by the name Mark Read. She and Anne Bonny are two of the most famed female pirates of all time.
They are the only two women known to have been convicted of piracy during the early 18th century, at the height of the Golden Age of Piracy.
Eventually, Mary was captured and died at the age of 31 of a fever in a Port Royal, Jamaica, prison.
Murillo’s booth has authentic artifacts from the famed Port Royal, which she said was known as “the wickedest city on earth” during that age of piracy.
Visitor to her booth will be able to handle the more than 40 artifacts on display: bowls, cups, musket balls, silver coins and more.
“I like hands-on,” she said about allowing folks to touch these ancient pieces. “Because, it’s like, Wow. This was in someone’s hand.”
Hailing from East Palatka, Fla., Murillo has been fascinated by Port Royal for the last 15 years and frequently joins groups such as Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew of Hampton, Va., who are one of several pirate/sea faring reenactor crews this weekend.
She will describe the devastating earthquake that struck Port Royal in 1692 where a large part of the city sank.
“Of 6,000 inhabitants, 4,000 died,” she said.
Murillo, who has worked in radio, will be the MC tonight for the talk by Blackbeard historian Kevin Duffus and the “Pirate Follies,” where the pirate crews compete against one another with rollicking skits, stories, and tall tales.
Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew of Hampton, Va., sets up camp on the Berkley Manor grounds. Photo by C. Leinbach
Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree is an event by the Ocracoke Civic and Business Association.
The schedule of events throughout Ocracoke Village is below.
Friday, Oct. 30 – Meet the Pirates!
Join us for an evening with the pirates!
Location: Ocracoke Community Center Admission $5
Beer, wine, and refreshments available.
Chris Suttle, a member of the Shadow Players, is Blackbeard. Photo by C. Leinbach
7-10pm: Meet The Pirates!
7:15pm: “Blackbeard: Revisited” Kevin Duffus, North Carolina’s Historian of the Year, updates on his stunning new research on the ever evolving story of Black Beard and his Crew.
7:30pm: “The Pirate Follies!”
Laugh until you cry as the Pirate Crews compete against one another with rollicking skits, stories, and tall tales. You get to be the judge as there can only be one winner!
9pm: The Motley Tones: rollicking good music and fun
Your piracy education continues with the Motley Tones. Hailing from the famous sea port of Raleigh, their harmonious renditions of songs of love, and travel and the sea will help set the mood for the fabulous weekend of piracy ahead.
Saturday, Oct. 31 – A whole day and night of fun! Yo ho!
Daytime events are located around historic Silver Lake Harbor
Rain locations TBD
10am-5pm: Festival Information, maps, and festival T-shirts at Community Square
10 am: The King’s Rangers muster!
Location: The King’s Rangers Encampment at Wahab House dockside
10am-5pm:The Pirate Encampment at The Berkley Manor :
See what life was really like during the 18th Century: Living history exhibits, tavern games and pirate skits. Also, one of the largest private collections of historical pirate artifacts.
Location: The Pirate Encampment Berkley Manor yard
10am-5pm:Militia encampment — Interactive living history exhibits
10am-5pm: Brigands’ Bazaar at the Wahab House: A marketplace of seafaring fine arts and wares.
11am-5pm: View the Pirate Ships:
“The Meka II,” “The Ada Mae” and a Coast Guard cutter at the NPS docks; “The Ranger” at the Wahab House docks
11am : The Shadow Players
Swashbuckling excitement with the Shadow Players Stage Combat Group….Swords! Whips! Laughter! Experience up close and personal swordplay in an interactive show for the whole family!
Location: The Community Square
11am-5pm: Roving 18th century Minstrels, Pirates and Street Vendors
Just as it was in the 18th Century- you might see the Oyster Lady or the Fishmonger hawking their wares while song breaks out down the street. Beware if you’re wearing your pirate gear; the militia will be hunting escaped pirates!
11:30am-5pm: The Pirate Encampment Beer Garden, sponsored by SmacNally’s:
Enjoy Good food and Libations at SMacNally’s, across from the Wahab House.
Community Park Beer Garden: across from Community Square
There’ll be pirates about!
11:30am : Meet Black Beard!
It’s only fair that he gets to tell his side of the story! Plus, swordplay and fun.
Location: The Community Store porch
Noon: “What Was Blackbeard Doing at Ocracoke?” Author and Historian, Kevin Duffus
When the notorious Blackbeard, arguably the world’s most famous pirate, was cornered and killed near Ocracoke’s Springer’s Point, he was in the company of just 20 men and the only treasure found in his possession was some sugar, cocoa, cotton, and a mysterious letter. It was late November and winter was approaching rapidly. Why was Blackbeard lingering at Ocracoke? What was he waiting for? Blackbeard historian Kevin Duffus answers these questions and more.
Location: The Community Store porch
1pm: The Battle at Ocracoke!
At 1:00pm, Saturday, see for yourself 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
Location: Great views all around Silver Lake and NPS docks
2:30pm : Scallywag School for Kids — for aspiring Young Pirates!
A chance for your kids to channel their “inner Pirate,” with 18th-century seamanship demonstrations, 18th-century games, and naval weapons and tactics.
Location: Pirate Encampment: Berkley Manor yard
3pm: The Motley Tones:
Fun for the whole family! The Motley Tones will delight you with their dulcet harmonies and witty piratical humor. Sea shanties, pub songs, love songs and sailor songs—they carry out an oral historical tradition of telling stories through song up and down the East coast.
Location: The Community Square Stage
3pm: Pirate Craft Fun!
Come create fun pirate crafts on the front porch of the Ocracoke Preservation Society. Stop by for a chance to see Ocracoke Island’s rich history
Location: Ocracoke Preservation Society
3 to 5 pm Ocracoke Village Trick or Treat!
Visiting children are welcome to don their costumes and join the local young’uns for the island traditional Trick or Treat trek around the Lighthouse Road loop. And yes, it’s really that early and will be completely over by dark. Ask for more information at the Pirate Jamboree Information Tent in the Community Square.
5 pm: The Shadow Players, Sponsored by the Ocracoke Oyster Company:
Swashbuckling excitement with the Shadow Players Stage Combat Group….Swords! Whips! Laughter! Experience up close and personal swordplay in an interactive show for the whole family!
Location: The Ocracoke Oyster Company
6-9pm: The Bawdy Beer Garden, Sponsored by the Ocracoke Oyster Company:
Relax, kick back, and enjoy some great beer and be entertained by the Motley Tones and pirate friends. A vivacious and informal round-robin exchange of bawdy songs that date back hundreds of years is sure to make you blush. This show is rated “I” for “Innuendo,” which is PG-17 for you 21st-century types. So, put the little scallywags to bed first!
Location: The Ocracoke Oyster Company
Sunday, Nov. 1
10am – Noon: Springer’s Point Memorial Service for those killed in Blackbeard’s Last Battle
Join with us as the pirate and militia crews march to beautiful Springer’s Point to honor those who perished on that fateful day. The militia’s cannons will kick off the march as we head to Springer’s Point. Please feel free to join in at any point along the route. At Springer’s Point, listen as the eulogy is read and the hymns are sung. Watch as the wreath is laid on the sea, while the pirate ships fire a cannon salute from just off-shore.
Location: Start the march at the pirate encampment, Berkley Manor
Noon-1:30pm: The Pirate Lunch
Join us in closing out the Festival at a rousing brunch with the Pirates. Your chance to sit down with our pirate crews and enjoy a great meal. Don’t forget to save a seat for a Pirate!
Location: Howard’s Pub
Captain Sinbad and his first mate Lt. Brown, one of several living-history pirate re-enactors here for the weekend . The couple lives on their boat the Meka II, which will double as Blackbeard’s boat, the Adventure in Saturday’s Battle of Ocracoke in Silver Lake. Photo by C. Leinbach
National Park ServiceNews Release October 29, 2015
Superintendent David Hallac announced today that beginning Sunday, November 1 seasonal ORV routes will reopen in Cape Hatteras National Seashore. With no remaining resource protection closures (sea turtle nests) this season, the seasonal ORV routes will reopen to night driving on November 1 at 12:01 a.m. A permit is required for any off-road vehicle use in Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The following ORV routes reopen on November 1:
1 of a mile south of Rodanthe Pier to Ramp 23 (Rodanthe/Waves/Salvo village beaches)
Ramp 34 to Ramp 38 (Avon beaches)
East Frisco Village beach boundary to 1.1 miles west
East Hatteras Village boundary to Ramp 55 (Hatteras Village beach)
Ramp 68 near Ocracoke Campground beach (Ocracoke Island)
Note: A temporary Frisco Emergency Access Ramp will be opened to allow ORV access to the East Frisco ORV and the adjacent seasonal ORV areas due to the flooded Ramp 49 (temporary) closure situation. When Ramp 49 reopens, the Frisco Emergency Access Ramp will be closed to ORV access.
All sea turtle nests have either hatched or were lost during the late season storm event. ORV routes and ramps are clearly marked in the field with signs and routes markers.
Ocracoke islanders love to dress up in costumes, and Halloween is a much-anticipated time of the year.
Herewith, a sampling of decorated places for the season.
Photos by Connie Leinbach
Halloween along Back Road.Thurston House all decked out in orange.Halloween surfer theme at Ocracoke Oyster Company.Halloween decor along Lighthouse Road.Spookiness at the Cove B&BMonsters along Loop Road.Melinda Sutton gets her palm read by the mysterious “Zelda” at an Ocracats fundraiser Oct. 22 at Roxy’s antiques.
Blackbeard Pirate Jamboree events kick off Friday night Oct. 30) in the Ocracoke Community Center with “Blackbeard Revisited,” a talk by historian Kevin Duffus on his new research on the infamous pirate, followed by the Pirate Follies, rollicking skits and tall tales by the visiting pirate crews. Above, Kevin Duffus demystifies some of the Blackbeard myths at last year’s kickoff.
Schedule of events included below.
The Third Annual Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree kicks off this weekend, Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 as pirates of all kinds will invade Ocracoke. The island has authentic Blackbeard history as the brigand was slain here Nov. 22, 1718, off Springer’s Point. For lodging information, visit www.ocracokevillage.com.
The centerpiece of the Jamboree is a historically accurate pirate encampment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, by Blackbeard’s Pirate Crew–an 18-member living history organization from Hampton, Va., on the grounds of the historic Berkley Manor.
Brigands’ Bazaar, a marketplace of piratical wares, will be on the grounds of the Wahab House, across from SmacNally’s, which is one of the event beer gardens.
Below is the schedule of the weekend’s events. Although Saturday’s weather is supposed to be fair, the schedule is always subject to change due to weather.
Friday, Oct. 30 – Meet the Pirates!
Join us for an evening with the pirates! Beer, wine, and refreshments available for purchase.
Location: Ocracoke Community Center Admission $5; 7 to 10 pm
7:15 pm: “Blackbeard: Revisited” Kevin Duffus, North Carolina’s Historian of the Year, updates on his stunning new research on the ever evolving story of Black Beard and his Crew.
7:30 pm: “The Pirate Follies!”
Laugh until you cry as the Pirate Crews compete against one another with rollicking skits, stories, and tall tales. You get to be the judge as there can only be one winner!
9 pm: The Motley Tones: rollicking good music and fun
Your piracy education continues with the Motley Tones. Hailing from the famous sea port of Raleigh, their harmonious renditions of songs of love, and travel and the sea will help set the mood for the fabulous weekend of piracy ahead.
Saturday, Oct. 31 – A whole day and night of fun! Yo ho!
Daytime events are located around historic Silver Lake Harbor. Rain locations TBD
10 am-5 pm: Festival Information, maps, and festival T-shirts at Community Square
10 am: The King’s Rangers muster!
Location: The King’s Rangers Encampment at Wahab House dockside
10 am-5 pm:The Pirate Encampment at The Berkley Manor :
See what life was really like during the 18th Century: Living history exhibits, tavern games and pirate skits. Also, one of the largest private collections of historical pirate artifacts.
Location: The Pirate Encampment Berkley Manor yard
10 am to 5 pm:Militia encampment — Interactive living history exhibits
10 am to 5 pm: Brigands’ Bazaar at the Wahab House
A marketplace of seafaring fine arts and wares.
11 am-5 pm: View the Pirate Ships:
“The Meka II,” “The Ada Mae” and a Coast Guard cutter at the NPS docks; “The Ranger” at the Wahab House docks
11 am : The Shadow Players
Swashbuckling excitement with the Shadow Players Stage Combat Group….Swords! Whips! Laughter! Experience up close and personal swordplay in an interactive show for the whole family!
Location: Community Square
11 am-5 pm: Roving 18th-century minstrels, pirates and street vendors
Just as it was in the 18th Century- you might see the Oyster Lady or the Fishmonger hawking their wares while song breaks out down the street. Beware if you’re wearing your pirate gear; the militia will be hunting escaped pirates!
11:30 am-5 pm: The Pirate Encampment Beer Garden, sponsored by SmacNally’s:
Enjoy Good food and Libations at SmacNally’s, across from the Wahab House. There’ll be pirates about!
11:30 am: Meet Black Beard!
It’s only fair that he gets to tell his side of the story! Plus, swordplay and fun.
Location: Community Store porch
Noon: “What Was Blackbeard Doing at Ocracoke?” Author and Historian, Kevin Duffus
When the notorious Blackbeard, arguably the world’s most famous pirate, was cornered and killed near Ocracoke’s Springer’s Point, he was in the company of just 20 men and the only treasure found in his possession was some sugar, cocoa, cotton, and a mysterious letter. It was late November and winter was approaching rapidly. Why was Blackbeard lingering at Ocracoke? What was he waiting for? Blackbeard historian Kevin Duffus answers these questions and more.
Location: Community Store porch in Community Square
1 pm: The Battle at Ocracoke!
NC historian Kevin Duffus will give a play-by-play of the three-ship Battle of Ocracoke between Blackbeard and Lt. Robert Maynard at 1 p.m. Saturday on Silver Lake harbor.
At 1:00pm, Saturday, see for yourself 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
Location: Great views all around Silver Lake and NPS docks
2:30 pm : Scallywag School for Kids — for aspiring Young Pirates!
A chance for your kids to channel their “inner Pirate,” with 18th-century seamanship demonstrations, 18th-century games, and naval weapons and tactics.
Location: Pirate Encampment: Berkley Manor yard
3 pm: The Motley Tones:
Fun for the whole family! The Motley Tones will delight you with their dulcet harmonies and witty piratical humor. Sea shanties, pub songs, love songs and sailor songs—they carry out an oral historical tradition of telling stories through song up and down the East coast.
Location: Community Square
3 pm: Pirate Craft Fun!
Come create fun pirate crafts on the front porch of the Ocracoke Preservation Society. Stop by for a chance to see Ocracoke Island’s rich history
Location: Ocracoke Preservation Society, 49 Water Plant Rd.
3 to 5 pm Ocracoke Village Trick or Treat!
Visiting children are welcome to don their costumes and join the local young’uns for the island traditional Trick or Treat trek around the Lighthouse Road loop. And yes, it’s really that early and will be completely over by dark. Ask for more information at the Pirate Jamboree Information Tent in Community Square.
5 pm: The Shadow Players, Sponsored by the Ocracoke Oyster Company:
Swashbuckling excitement with the Shadow Players Stage Combat Group….Swords! Whips! Laughter! Experience up close and personal swordplay in an interactive show for the whole family!
Location: The Ocracoke Oyster Company
The Shadow Players will demonstrate stage combat at 5 p.m. on the grounds of the Ocracoke Oyster Co.
6-9 pm: The Bawdy Beer Garden, Sponsored by the Ocracoke Oyster Company:
Relax, kick back, and enjoy some great beer and be entertained by the Motley Tones and pirate friends. A vivacious and informal round-robin exchange of bawdy songs that date back hundreds of years is sure to make you blush. This show is rated “I” for “innuendo,” which is PG-17 for you 21st-century types. So, put the little scallywags to bed first!
Location: The Ocracoke Oyster Company
Sunday, Nov. 1
10 am – Noon: Springer’s Point Memorial Service for those killed in Blackbeard’s Last Battle
Join with us as the pirate and militia crews march to beautiful Springer’s Point to honor those who perished on that fateful day. The militia’s cannons will kick off the march as we head to Springer’s Point. Please feel free to join in at any point along the route. At Springer’s Point, listen as the eulogy is read and the hymns are sung. Watch as the wreath is laid on the sea, while the pirate ships fire a cannon salute from just off-shore.
Location: Start the march at the pirate encampment, Berkley Manor
Noon-1:30 pm: The Pirate Lunch
Join us in closing out the Festival at a rousing brunch with the Pirates. Your chance to sit down with our pirate crews and enjoy a great meal. Don’t forget to save a seat for a Pirate!
Location: Howard’s Pub
The Pirate Lunch at Howard’s Pub will be at noon Sunday, Nov. 1
In mid-eighteenth century France, travelers would stop at inns to rest for the night. Eventually, innkeepers began doling out bowls of broth — then called restoratifs. This practice and name gave rise to the word restaurant: a place to restore one’s health and wellness.
Our mothers and grandmothers had it right all along.
When you are feeling “quamish to the gut” (old Ocracoke dialect), homemade chicken broth can soothe and boost the immune system. Properly prepared chicken broth has been used as a healing home remedy for thousands of years.
Below are few of its many benefits:
Since chicken broth is derived from bones, it is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, silicon, sulfur and numerous other trace minerals in a form that is easily absorbed by the body.
Is rich in glycine which stimulates the secretion of stomach acid and helps to prevent acid reflux.
Is easy to digest and unlikely to irritate the intestinal tract. As a result, it is a healing tonic when one is suffering from a cold or flu virus, or any kind of intestinal distress such as diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome.
Gelatin in chicken broth promotes proper digestion of hard-to-digest foods such as meat, milk, beans and grains.
Gelatin also is a pure form of collagen which contains the proteins glycine, proline, glucosamine and chondroitin . These provide the body with the raw materials to rebuild connective tissue and so can ease joint pain and the symptoms of arthritis. These properties make it also beneficial for athletes whose joints are constantly under stress.
Simple whole-chicken broth
3 ½ to 4 lb. antibiotic free, humanely raised, whole chicken
Filtered water
If your chicken was purchased partially frozen place it in the refrigerator on a dish and let it defrost slowly overnight. Rinse the chicken well, inside and out, under cold running water. Place the chicken in a pot breast side up and pour in filtered water to cover the legs but leave the breast uncovered. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to the boil. Skim off impurities that rise to the surface.
Reduce the heat to simmer, partially cover the pot and cook the chicken for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pot completely. Set aside for 1 hour.
Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a large dish. Use your hands to disjoint the chicken and remove the skin, meat, fat and cartilage from the bones. Place the meat in a storage container to be used for sandwiches, salads, soups, tacos, enchiladas, and stir fries. Place the bones, cartilage, fat, skin, and accumulated liquid into a bag and store in the freezer. Note: if you purchase already-roasted chicken from a grocery store save the bones and add them to your bag of bones in the freezer.
To make the broth
When the bones, skin, and cartilage from a few chickens have accumulated in the freezer, place them in a large pot or slow cooker. Pour over filtered water to cover by a few inches. Add two tablespoons of cider vinegar (to help leach the minerals from the bones). Bring the pot or cooker to the boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Partially cover, if using a pot. Cover completely if using a slow cooker. Simmer slowly over low heat for 6 to 24 hours (the longer you simmer the more healthful the broth).
When the broth is finished, pour it carefully into a sieve that has been placed over a large bowl. Using a large spoon, press firmly on the bones, skin, and cartilage to extract all the liquid. Throw away the remains and set the bowl with the broth aside to cool at room temperature.
Place the cooled broth into the refrigerator to cool completely overnight. The broth will keep well in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. When you are ready to use the broth, skim off and discard the fat that has hardened on the surface.
To eat, simply re-heat the broth, add salt to taste and some precooked rice or pasta.
A simple soup that I enjoy making at home is listed below.
Carrot Soup with Homemade Chicken Broth and Fresh Ginger
2 Tbs. olive oil
¾ cup peeled and chopped onions
1 Tbs. peeled and grated fresh ginger
½ tsp. ground cumin
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (preferably organic)
½ cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
4 cups homemade chicken broth
½ cup frozen green peas
Cook the onions in olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until they soften. Stir in the grated ginger, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add the carrots, sweet potato, and chicken broth. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer and cook, partially covered, until the carrots are tender (about 30 min.).
Let the soup cool slightly. Pour the soup into a sieve that is placed over a large bowl. Puree the cooked vegetables in a food processor. Add the pureed vegetables and cooking liquid back to the pot. Reheat the soup and add the peas. Cook briefly until the peas defrost and serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt if desired.
Henry Schliff has been the chef of a French, Italian, and Mexican restaurant and was most recently the owner of the Orange Blossom Bakery in Buxton. He is the author of two cookbooks
![Brenda Kremser & Trisha Davis IMG_7730[1]](https://i0.wp.com/ocracokeobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/brenda-kremser-trisha-davis-img_77301.jpg?ssl=1)
