Arrrg, the 2012 Fort Myers Beach Pirate Fest was almost the
festival that didn’t happen. Two weeks before the big event, the program
promoters packed their bags and left the city to fend for itself. Luckily, a
group of local merchants and strong supporters of the annual event came
together, and in a very short time were able to push through desperately needed
permits, allowing the show to go on as scheduled. A variety of street
performers, including dancers, magicians, and musicians entertained children
and adults alike.
The weekend event kicked-off Friday night, with the Pirates’
Ball at “Ugly’s”, which included music, dancing, and the annual Best Pirate
Costume Award. Saturday started with a hearty
buccaneer breakfast at Beach Pierside Grill on the boardwalk, and then a
leisurely walk through the tent-covered Old San Carlos Boulevard, where local vendors
displayed a mixed array of art, crafts, souvenirs, mock era-weaponry, costumes,
handmade jewelry, and artisan works.
A breezy afternoon
was just the right ambiance for relaxing al-fresco at Nervous Nellie’s Crazy
Waterfront Eatery, where we enjoyed a few cocktails, live music, belly dancers,
photo-ops with a mermaid, and a grand view of the exciting canon battle demonstration.
Later that afternoon, a bright warm-orange sun, set behind the bay waters of
the Gulf Coast, followed by a cool-warm and clear star-filled sky. It was the
perfect back-drop for a filling pirate-fest dinner at the Yucatan Bar &
Grill. We wrapped-up the day’s events at Ugly’s, sharing good wine and dancing
the night away as the Pirate DJ spun the latest pop tunes on his digital mixer.
It was a great Pirate Fest, and we owe it all to the fast
thinking and even faster acting local merchants of Old San Marco Boulevard, and
specifically the owners of Nervous Nellie’s and The Shipwreck Motel and
Emporium, who rallied the local community to ensure the show would go on.
Kudos!
(for more photos of the 2012 Pirate Fest, click here.)
