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Blackbeard’s Crew to Pillage Yorktown

on April 26, 2010 – 3:03 am

Members of Blackbeard’s Crew, a living history group dedicated to the accurate representation of seafaring life in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, will embark upon Riverwalk Landing in Historic Yorktown on the evening of Friday April, 30 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a series of fun-filled of activities and demonstrations.

Friday night activities will feature the “Somnium” fusion (18th-Century style dancing) dancers, entertaining folks with one of the oldest pastimes. While activities will be scattered throughout Riverwalk, the central gathering point will be on the green area in front of Stars & Stripes Forever.

Founded in 2000, the mission of Blackbeard’s Crew is to educate the public on the contribution of ordinary seaman to transatlantic trade and North American colonization between the years 1650 to 1730, as well as the impact of piracy upon the economic cycle of transatlantic trade during the Golden Age of Piracy. The group employs living history interpretation as a primary method to educate the public by accurately portraying the lifestyle, manner of dress and speech, common knowledge and skills, weapons, tools, and crew organization of both pirates and ordinary seaman both afloat and ashore during the Golden Age of Piracy.

Since its inception, Blackbeard’s Crew has expanded its educational outreach beyond Hampton Roads, visiting a number of ports along the eastern seaboard.

Riverwalk Landing businesses will be participating in special events in select stores. The Schooner Alliance, Historic Yorktown’s 105’ tall ship will be offering a Pirates Day special for kids on Saturday, May 1. Any pirate under the age of 12 wearing a pirate costume will receive a discounted admission rate of $9. This offer is good for the 11 a.m. and the 2 p.m. sails only. For more information on the Schooner Alliance Pirates Day special for kids call (757) 639-1233.

The Blackbeard’s Crew event is free and open to the public. Free parking is available at the Riverwalk Landing parking terrace, York Hall, and other designated public parking lots throughout town. Guests are encouraged to utilize the free Yorktown Trolley, which operates daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and stops at various locations throughout town every 20-25 minutes. For more information on this event call York County Parks and Recreation at 890-3500 or visit www.yorkcounty.gov/tourism.

Victorian Christmas

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