Tybee Island is holding its annual Pirate Festival Thursday through Saturday, and it’s kicking off, as it usually does, with the Buccaneer Ball at The Crab Shack from 6-10 p.m.
Tickets are no longer available for the ball, but the festival, which is on Friday and Saturday, will be free. Director of the festival Charissa Murray said that her goal is for it to be free from now on, and this is the second year they were able to do that, thanks to support from the community.
It is also the second year that the festival is back on Tybee after it stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This would be year 19 for the festival, if not for the cancellation.
“It started in 2005, and you know just as a little basic history, it started so we could have events for the shoulder season to help booth tourism,” Murray said. “We effectively have done that over these years.”
Credit: Photo by Carl Elmore/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Photo by Carl Elmore/Savannah Morning News
The origin of the fest, according to Murrary, is that 19 years ago, all of the Pirates of the Carribbean movies were coming out.
"And we live on an island, you know, on the Georgia coast," Murray said. "The barrier islands were used for hangouts and hideouts for pirates, so we kind of combined the idea of pirates being very popular in the media, with the historical presence of pirates on the island. And the fact that Tybee loves to have a party and they like to get dressed up."
Murray said by the fourth year of the festival, attendance exploded, and they had to start charging a fee to get in. Pirate reenactors were coming from all over the country, and Murray said that she's made friends that she's kept now for nearly two decades because so many of the same 10 to 15 thousand people come back to the island for the festival.
Since it's the second year back, Murray said that the festival will have half the footprint that it usually does.
"We'll have vendors, and kids' activities, some performers as well," Murray said. "The Stardust Pixxies will be doing aerial performances on Saturday, and stilt walkers and jugglers throughout the weekend. Massive bounce houses and free face painting for children."
At the Buccaneer Ball every year, Murray said she chooses someone to honor in the community and those people are crowned the king and queen of the Ball. This year, it was Dillon Patel, whose family has been in the hotel business for over 45 years on Tybee and Natasha Navon, chef at Pier 16.
Patel said he's excited to see old friends that come for the festival and is looking forward to the slate of pirate events and bands they booked this year.
There are eight local bands booked this year: JD Music Group, Denim Arcade, who will be doing a Jimmy Buffet tribute on Friday; The Alternators, The Aloha Joes, UNIFYA, Outlaw Gypsy, and IMYZ, a group from Nashville, who will be headlining the event, all on Saturday.
"I really liked this idea of bring new stuff to the area, and I'd much rather pay two or three or four thousand dollars for some young guys to get up there that are trying to break through," Murray said.
Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for Chatham County municipalities for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Aerial performances, kids’ activities & more will be at the free Pirate Festival in Tybee
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