Page 26 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2017

COASTNOTES
story by Lynn Lofton photos by Shannon Williams
Ahoy there mates, it’s time for Pirate Day in the Bay. Festivities take place May 19 and 20 in Old Town Bay St. Louis. Pirates and wenches begin roaming the streets at 4 p.m. on Friday at Pirate Central, located at the corner of Beach Boulevard and Main Street. The two- day celebration is presented by the Mystic Krewe of the Sea Horse.
“Pirate Day in the Bay is one of our best events and great for the whole family,” chairman John Rosetti said. “We invite everyone to come join the fun.”
On May 19, the Bay will be rollicking with the Pirate’s Arrival and the capture of the mayor, followed by a Pirate’s Pub Crawl and Scavenger Hunt. The day will end with live music from 9 until 11 p.m.
The revelry continues on Saturday with music beginning at 11 a.m. at Pirate Central. There will be vendors, a Kids’ Zone, a costume contest, a Meet and Greet with Captain Longbeard’s pirates, and a parade to the Ugly Pirate to meet the Lafitte brothers. The finale will be fireworks over the beach at the harbor, sponsored by Silver Slipper Casino.
Pirates have a long history in Bay St. Louis. Captain
Longbeard — a
ruthless and
heroic pirate of
the early 1800s —
joined Jean Lafitte’s
Pirate Navy, which
was based in New
Orleans, and roamed
the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, raiding and attacking British, Spanish and French merchant ships. He used Bay St. Louis as his hide-a-way, and once a year brought his men to stash the loot, refurbish the boats, get needed supplies, recruit new conscripts, and have a pub crawl entertaining the city’s young ladies.
These visits were known as Pirate Day in The Bay. After several years, town leaders became suspicious of Capt. Longbeard and began to tax the pirates for their use of the town. The locals and the pirates had a falling out which ended with a battle for the city. The battle was won by the town militia and the city was saved. Capt. Longbeard and his treasure disappeared in the battle and have not been seen again.
Mystic Krewe of the Sea Horse
228.216.6416 www.MKOTSH.com
26 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • May 2017 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net