Marden Park will be taken over by scallywags, scoundrels and all kinds of people of questionable character at the end of the month, but in a fun way.
The Pirate Festival, three days of shows, interactive theatre, music, vendors and food will take over the park, located two minutes north of Guelph on Marden Road, from July 30 to Aug 1.
The festival has been running for 10 years and after a couple of years at Fort York in Toronto it had a long run at Milton's Country Heritage Park. But when that facility's mandate changed they went looking for a new home and found a perfect one in Marden Park.
"We have a cast of 10 professional characters and about 15 volunteer performers plus an army of other volunteers," said Stephanie Russell of Keelhaul Productions, the company that is putting the show on.
"We build sets, we all wear costumes and we encourage people coming to dress up too," she said.
One of the main events is an adult-themed Captain's Keg on the Saturday night, a licenced event featuring music that Russell calls a "raucous evening."
During the day the festival features three stages of various kinds of entertainment, from jugglers to comedy, food stalls and vendors. There will also be LARP (Live Action Role Play) demonstrations.
There are also live demonstrations of a variety of crafts, from blacksmithing and leather working to boat building.
A mud pit, Zoltan The Adequate, The Drick Brothers and Captain Kidd's Kids's area are just come of the daytime entertainment.
There's lots of youthful energy. We have lots of regulars that come to the show every year," Russell said.
Cost is $10 for kids, $15 for adults and $10 for seniors. Children under 5 are free.
For more information go to www.thepiratefestival.com.
