Pure Costumes at Play: Long Beach Pirate Festival

This past weekend, we decided to take in some of our own advice and drop in at our local pirate festival. Over at the Belmont Pier in Long Beach, CA, pirates and mermaids gathered for a weekend of fun and festivities. The day included pirate ships, tasty treats, a merchant row, pirate bands, belly dancers, and mermaids! Here are a few of our favorite memories from the festival.

The festival took up the entire pier along with parts of the beach nearby. Upon arriving, there were lines of ornately decorated pirate tents along the beach which appeared to be resting grounds for the pirate entertainers. The pier itself welcomed guests with a big black pirate flag and was buzzing with excitement from guests and vendors alike.

Once on the pier, we were able to get a great view of the pirate ships which were settled along the water. We walked through the pier to grab some snacks like a smoked turkey leg. As we strolled along, we could smell the scents of incense and hear the calls of merchants looking to hawk their merchandise.

After we perused the pier, we followed the sounds of pirate music down to the stage area down at the beach. There were some great decorations around which served well for photo ops. A pirate maiden posed prettily near a model pirate ship and nearby, belly dancers hula hooped to the chantey of the featured pirate band.

Of all the entertainment and activities of the day, what captivated us the most was the amazing pirate costumes! Here are a few fellows looking very snazzy in their pirate get-ups.

If you have yet to visit a pirate festival, we highly recommend it! This type of unique family-friendly costume event is definitely the experience of a lifetime! Is there a pirate festival in your town that you recommend? If so, leave a comment and tell us all about it!