A Pirate Jamboree

Our “over-board” Halloween decor began after Don and I stumbled upon the Pirate Jamboree on Ocracoake Island, North Carolina in 2018, which just happened to be the 300-year anniversary of the death of Blackbeard the Pirate. His final battle took place near Ocracoke.

The jamboree was a rollicking party filled with attendees in full pirate costume, musical entertainment, magic shows, history lessons, period encampments, vendors and a live battle with cannons on Silver Lake Harbor.

We couldn’t wait to attend the following year, and I got busy sewing pirate garb for us to wear. I used costume patterns for my jacket, Don’s vest, shirt and pants, and felt pirate hats. I modified and decorated them with fancy trim, buttons and leather. Don already had a fabulous mock sword, and I found a leather baldric for it an online at Pirate Fashion:

“The fun of being a pirate be carrying weapons, lots of them, the more the merrier.  Ye can carry them on belts, but the preferred method be over yar shoulder with a Baldric. Baldrics be a type of belt worn over one shoulder n’ be used to carry a weapon, usually a cutlass.”

The wrath of Dorian

Unfortunately, Hurricane Dorian devastated the island in 2019. The organizers had to cancel the jamboree, and we were stuck at home with our costumes.

So that’s when we decided to turn the front porch into a pirate ship for Halloween.

I cut and painted cardboard sheets for the ship, and made a cardboard anchor. Don had a huge cardboard tube that we used for the mast, and I hung the cheesecloth and glued a plastic basket for a crow’s nest on top. I painted warning signs, after quick research of appropriate lettering styles, on cardboard. We found a replica of Blackbeard’s flag online to hang on the back of the porch.

I made the ship’s cannons from plastic cups spray painted with silver, and used hot glue to affix them to the cardboard. Then I glued flaps (painted red) over each cannon hole.

I found other fun props, like a rat for the crow’s nest, skulls, and a skeleton at Party City. I made a treasure chest for the Halloween candy–I had a blast carrying it around and threatening not to share any treasures with mutinous rascals. I was a stingy pirate! We had so much fun that I was hoarse from shouting by the evening’s end.

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Another cancelled jamboree

Then COVID-19 forced the cancellation of Ocracoke’s Pirate Jamboree in 2020. Arrrgh! What would we do now? Would children still come trick or treating on Halloween?

We decided to block the porch entrance with cardboard, and construct a chute (from a mailing tube) to slide the candy to the kids. It created just the right amount of distance and prevented the need for children to climb the steps to get candy from us. It’s safer, and makes the porch look more like a ship!

The kids loved it. I shouted in my most threatening pirate voice at them to get ready to catch the candy, because if they missed, I’d take them aboard as prisoners, and, if they protested, they’d have to walk the plank. I don’t know if they understood what walking the plank meant, but it sounded scary and they loved it. We had a blast jumping around, shouting, and acting silly.

Jamboree 2021

This year there was some initial confusion about the dates of the Jamboree on Ocracoke Island, and, as a result, I booked reservations on the island for the wrong week. A thousand poxes upon me fat-boned head!

We thought about trying to reschedule, but that had risks. There could be another hurricane, or a COVID-19 surge might cause another cancellation. We decided we have just as much fun dressing up as pirates at home Michigan on Halloween, so we’ll be at it again this year.

So, avast, me hearties! Thar’ll be th’ devil to pay if ye be hard up in a clinch with no knife to cut th’ seizing! Best not ye be caught three sheets to th’ wind this Hallow’s Eve…

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Thank you for visiting Linda’s blog.

Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Learn more about her poetry chapbook, Security