Pirates will descend on Ventnor this week as the town’s Pirate Festival returns with 4 days of free entertainment, live music, family activities and swashbuckling seaside fun.
The Ventnor Pirate Festival will once again join forces with Ventnor Carnival, with celebrations including parades, pirate-themed treats, cannon fire, treasure digging, and a tug-of-war on the beach.
Festivities will open with the main carnival parade on Wednesday (13th August) evening at 19:00, when residents and visitors are being encouraged to dress up and join the pirate ‘invasion’ of the town.
Prizes will be awarded for the best-dressed pirates in both children’s and adult categories.
Families will also be able to take part in the Kids Mini Pirate Fest at the seafront Paddling Pool.
Opened by Town Crier Will Nixon, the event will feature bubble shows, interactive songs, art activities, games, history and a magician, as well as a visit from Captain Jack Sparrow on Thursday.
Businesses across Ventnor are getting involved too; cafés such as Crave Ice-Cream, Blake’s Tea Hut and Lady Scarlett’s join the fun with limited-edition pirate-themed treats. While Island Brewery’s festival beer, Gilbert’s Gold, gives grown-up pirates something to toast.
Saturday’s programme will begin with cannon fire at 12:00 by The Spyglass, followed by ‘Soak A Scallywag’, hosted by actress Hanna Nixon.
Ventnor Mayor Cllr Steve Cooper and his deputy have volunteered to be among the first to get a soaking.
A Kids Treasure Dig will take place at 13:30 before a Pirate Tug of War on the beach, with the festival concluding with the Illuminated Carnival Parade at 21:00 on Saturday night.
Music will feature throughout the celebrations, including shanty sessions, choirs and live bands. JC and Angelina Grimshaw, East Cowes Shanty and Derek Sandy are among dozens of acts set to perform across multiple venues.
Neil Gibbs, owner of The Spyglass Inn, created the festival 3 years ago and said:
“Every year we intend to make the festival bigger and better; it’s a great free community event for Ventnor.
“Back of the Wight is steeped in pirate and smuggling history, my family have even got Pirate heritage! This festival helps keep the island’s history alive and kicking!”
Further information can be found here.
