ROCK HALL — Rowdy pirates and wenches from Baltimore, Pennsylvania, even Florida, in true buccaneer fashion, braved Tropical Storm Debby last weekend to travel to Rock Hall. Along Main Street, Sharp Street, Ferry Park Beach, Watermen’s Crab House and several other places in town, the 17th annual Pirates and Wenches Festival took place; with record attendance that’s hard to guess since they arrive by car or boat from all directions, according to organizer Laurie Walters of Main Street Rock Hall. Walters said she was happy with the turnout, and although there were some slip and room cancellations earlier in the week, that provided opportunity for others.
“Many others were happy to join us for what ended up being one of the most beautiful weekends of the summer,” she said. Pirates and Wenches weekend was the original idea of this year’s co-organizer, Suzanne Einstein. “We came up with the idea while at Waterman’s Crab House on Halloween after seeing so many people dressed up as pirates! We thought, how fun would it be to have a Caribbean style party on our public beach, a decorated dinghy flotilla in the harbor, and a Buccaneer’s Ball! It was clear to us that our little waterfront town on the Chesapeake was the perfect location to host such an event!” She added, “we didn’t know it then, but we built it and they came!” They sure did.
On a drizzly Friday night, full of uncertainty of the weather the next day, they came anyway. Hats, swords, buckles, boots.