Fair Winds & Following Seas…

The third annual NOLA Pyrate Week (2011) was another successful & productive adventure – thank ye to all who attended, participated & supported us!

Before it even officially started, we sponsored the first annual New Orleans Book Festival at the Audubon Zoo and brought two good mates with us to promote their books along with the many other fine local authors…it was also Earth Fest at the Zoo and a perfect day for weather!

NOLA Pyrate Week kicked off on Friday with our best parade to date – Kreweloads o’ Pyrates, landlubbers, families & children! We had all kinds o’ amazing throws (and we helped support ARC of Greater New Orleans by purchasing recycled throws from them), lots o’ Pyrate flags & banners (including our own 2 custom flags from The House of Dirk & Arrow – HIGHLY recommended) and drums, whistles, tambourines & several grand sets o’ lungs! Our mates Tony & Thais of Pirates Alley Café put out a wonderful spread and hosted our parade after-party!

Thanks to both Don Powers & the NOPD for their parade escort and Jaguar & The Guardian Angels team for their security.

The Merchant’s Market visited the Audubon Aquarium to help launch their new “Parakeet Pointe” exhibit and we had a great 2 days there (in spite o’ a brisk wind on Saturday)…some o’ the most original and spectacular handmade goods ever seen! Our favourite face-painter, Irina, kept a constant stream o’ young scallawags (and a few adults) looking as colourful as the parakeets! Our thanks to all the Merchants & Artisans who joined us. The hearty volunteers from the Gulf Restoration Network joined us both days and were very busy educating folks about the plight o’ the Gulf Coast and it’s adjoining wetlands.

Our Gunner’s Mate, Irish, single-handedly raised $125 in donations for wetlands preservation & restoration!

Our thanks to The Whiskey Bay Rovers (and their wenches) for their exceptional musical talent at both the Merchants Market and a lagniappe performance at The Rendon Inn Saturday night!

Saturday night we journeyed to the Hi Ho Lounge to visit our good mates Debauche for their “Russian Hooligan Party” featuring the lovely ladies of Slowburn Burlesque.

Sunday night we were privileged to attend a spectacular performance at One Eyed Jacks of “The Wizard Of Oz” featuring the uncompromising talents of Fleur De Tease.

Throughout the week, Pyrates ventured out across the city for food, drink & entertainment…from MidCity (J’anita’s at The Rendon Inn), to Metarie (Phil’s Grill, book sales at Barnes & Noble and Borders), The LGD (The Avenue Pub) & Uptown (Oak Street) to the Marigny (Mojito’s Rum Bar & Grill), the Bywater (The Joint) to the Bayou (Capt. Wendy’s Wetland Tours). We visited old friends and made many new ones along the way.

We wrapped the week up with a trip down to S. Terrebonne and Captain Wendy’s highly informative Wetlands Tour and a visit to the Old Algiers Riverfest.

Our donations this year went to support lowernine.org, Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, Gulf Restoration Network and the Goodchildren Social Aid & Pleasure Club. We were also a primary sponsor of the New Orleans Book Festival, supported ARC of Greater New Orleans and donated 150 pounds of beads to a children’s parade.