30 Sep 2023
A Complete Recap of PiratePalooza 19
Here’s our recap of PiratePalooza 19!! This year’s event was on Saturday, September 23rd, in the City of Decatarrrr. This year, PiratePalooza was devoted entirely to the pub crawl, providing our traditional performers a well-deserved vacation. We welcome all of you who joined us in the sacking of the city and invite you to join us again next year for our 20th Anniversary!
Please check out the album of photos by Karen Grayson! (click here)
2023 T-Shirt Orders Close Tonight!
Final orders for the 2023 PiratePalooza Ghost Pirate t-shirts are being collected today and will end after Midnight. The shirts will be printed later this month and shipped directly to you. We recommend that you visit the sales page from a web browser, not from inside the Facebook app. Here is the link for the sales page: piratepalooza.com/gear
Twain’s Brewpub & Billiards
This year saw the biggest gathering ever at Mister Twain’s Billiards Hall & Beer Brewery! As one of the best hangouts on the Eastern Atlanta Bay, the staff of Twain’s are a clear favorite of our pirates, many of whom return during the rest of the year disguised as townsfolk.
Their beer is fresh, their food is delicious, and their staff are always 2 steps ahead of our pirates. There is no more cheery stop along the way than Twain’s, as members of our various pirate crews converge after long months at sea.
Not a single pirate was stabbed in the back during all the hugging that occurred at the main entrance, and there were only 37 reports of pick-pocketry, all of which were later attributed to Israel Hands, who showed up late and had to make up for time lost.
Israel did at least lead the rabble in a few shanties before the 19th Annual Invasion of the City of Decatur.
The Coronation
Prior to the reading of the invasion orders, there was a brief ceremony in which Captain Drew was invested with a special oversized crown designed by Wade Finch to accommodate the Captain’s special oversized head.
While this crowning was less controversial than the coronation ceremony held earlier this Spring, the general consensus was that nobody was going to actually listen to “King Captain” Drew.
We set a record this year with the largest invasion crowd in our history!!
The Brick Store Pub
By 3pm the invasion swept into the Brick Store Pub, clogging aisles and removing elbow room around the taps.
Upstairs, our beloved Belgian Bar was not scheduled to open until later in the day, so many pirates moved outside to relieve the crowding – many wandered on over to the next scheduled stop: O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub.
By 4 o’clock most of the pirates had moved over from the Brick Store to O’Sullivan’s, where the sidewalk was awash with seamen and all sort of other interesting people.
The Virginia Reel
Any recap of PiratePalooza 19 would be insufficient without news about the Virginia Reel.
Israel Hands was blown off course this year on his way to another pirate festival. To our great delight, he washed up on our shores to lead the now-traditional dancing of the Virginia Reel in Decatur’s open plaza.
King Commodore Stephen Decatur, scourge of the Barbary Pirates, glowered at the twin lines of dancing pirates.
Even though his northern line finished well after the southern line, King Captain Drew declared his dance partners the winners of this year’s reel.
You are ALL winners in OUR books!
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub
This establishment has been on the route of the Palooza for years and years now, and for good reason.
They have a great big bar with a lot to offer and a great big friendly staff – they even had a table reserved outside when we arrived!
Our sincere thanks to the staff and crew of O’Sullivan’s for all your hospitality throughout our invasion!
The Brick Store Garden
Despite early word that it would be closed for the day, the Brick Store’s Garden opened around 6pm and the invasion began trickling back over for an extended stay.
A group of sailors sprawled in one corner occasionally burst into shanties, while others plucked at their instruments in another corner.
THANK YOU!!
We say this every year, but it is TRUE: PiratePalooza could not happen without you.
It could not happen without your participation and the benevolence of local bars and restaurants that host us.
As a free event, we are subject to the availability of space and the staffing capabilities of those businesses we patronize.
Our thanks to all who can be pirates and good customers at the same time.
Great thanks to the businesses who gladly entertain our community, and apologies to those who begrudge our nautical lifestyle.
Thanks to all who brought us music and delight, we hope that you enjoyed this recap of PiratePalooza 19!
What to Expect for Our 20th Anniversary
At this point, our route for our 20th Annual PiratePalooza has not been set, but we are WORKING ON IT!!
While it is our hope to return again to Decatur, it is our goal to find a route that incorporates stops that can gladly accommodate our attendees and will provide a final location that will allow us to resume our musical Pub Sing.
To make sure that our 20th is the best year ever, we will be calling upon members of the community to assist us in our preparations well ahead of next September!
Until then, we wish you all the best as you set sail southward next weekend – Tybee Island Pirate Festival, they’re ALL YOURS!!!!
…
