Arrrgh, mateys! There does seem to be a mania for swashbucklers these days. (I suspect the everlasting Pirates of the Caribbean series has something to do with it.) If you have a pint-sized buccaneer in your house—or harbour dreams of high seas adventures yourself—here are a few pirate-themed adventures in Ontario and upstate New York that I’ve come across recently. (I haven’t tried any of them, but they all sound like fun!) If you know of a pirate event or attraction I’ve missed, let me know in the comments!
Pirate festivals
Pirate Invasion, Gananoque
Photo courtesy of Pirate Invasion.
Pirate Invasion in Joel Stone Park in Gananoque (July 7 and 8, 2018) looks like a boisterous affair for the whole family, with theatre, cooking demonstrations, a parrot sanctuary, storytellers, fortune tellers, live music, mermaids and more.
The Pirate Festival, Guelph
On the August long weekend (August 4 to 6, 2018), the Pirate Festival in Marden Park in Guelph will offer a bouncy pirate ship, a pirates’ pub, storytellers, archery and more. (This one was formerly the Milton Pirate Festival before setting sail for Guelph in 2016.)
Pirates of the Bay, Penetanguishine
The new Pirates of the Bay festival on Saturday, August 4, brings buccaneering fun to Penetanguishine Harbour.
Bill Johnston’s Pirate Days, Alexandria Bay
Alexandria Bay goes all out with Bill Johnston’s Pirate Days, almost two weeks’ worth of swordplay and derring-do (August 10 to 19, 2018). Planned activities include two parades, a pirate-themed boat cruise, children’s crafts, pirate skits and block dances.
Pirate ships
Pirate Adventures, Ottawa
Aspiring pirates can set sail on Ottawa’s Mooney’s Bay from late May through September with Pirate Adventures. Participants get a pirate name and pirate costumes, and get their faces painted, before they board the 43-passenger boat for a 75-minute cruise. Onboard fun includes searching for treasure and firing a water cannon, egged on by costumed actors. Trips are available in both English and French. Advance reservations recommended.
Pirate Life, Toronto
Photo courtesy of Pirate Life.
From May through October, the Island Rogue sets sail from downtown Toronto for a 1.5-hour interactive theatrical adventure on Lake Ontario. Like the Ottawa pirate experience, participants get a pirate name, dress up, put on temporary tattoos, learn to fire a water cannon and generally have the chance to play pirate with a costumed crew of actors.
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[…] are at least five pirate festivals in Ontario, with many focused in the Ottawa area. Pirates are a big deal in Ontario as it is known […]