Great Lakes Pirate Gathering May 16-18 at Greene Eagle Winery

May 4, 2014 at 12:07a.m.

By REBECCA NIEMINEN SLOAN

CORTLAND

Ahoy there, matey! Ye won’t want to miss the Great Lakes Pirate Gathering.

The event is set for May 16-18 at Greene Eagle Winery at 2576 Davis Peck Road. This colorful festival will feature 18th-century pirate camps, pirate raids, historical demonstrations, black powder competitions, belly dancers, vendors, cannons, music, auctions and more.

Joseph McBride of Cortland, who is helping to organize the event, said more than 100 pirate re-enactors will be camped at the winery for the weekend.

“This event is not only a good time for the whole family, it’s educational from a historical aspect,” McBride said.

Proceeds from the event will benefit restoration of the Santa Maria, a replica pirate ship docked in Columbus.

“Usually we hold a pirate festival in Columbus, but the ship and the dock are currently being renovated and repaired, so we approached the people at Greene Eagle Winery and asked to have the event there,” McBride explained.

Keith Bliss, partial owner of Greene Eagle Winery, said he is excited to host the pirate party.

“Our winery is intended to evoke a 17th- and 18th-century atmosphere, and we have plenty of space around the winery for an encampment, so it’s the perfect place for a festival like this,” Bliss said.

McBride said numerous pirate gatherings take place each year throughout the United States.

“Pirate festivals and gatherings are becoming more popular,” McBride explained. “Interest in pirates and the pirate lifestyle grew after the movie ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ hit the box office.”

However, McBride said that people who attend the Great Lakes Pirate Festival shouldn’t necessarily expect the Hollywood glitz and glamour of Jack Sparrow.

“The people who participate in this event are very knowledgeable from a historical standpoint, and although the event is definitely about fun and good times, it’s also about historical accuracy and educating people on what the life of a pirate was like,” McBride said.

McBride said there will be pirate crews from Pittsburgh, Erie and Cortland.

“Right now, there are about 100 participants signed up as well as 13 vendors, and I expect that number to grow as we get closer to the event,” McBride said.

The festival begins at 8 a.m. May 16, and admission is free.

“There will be auctions taking place throughout the weekend to raise money for the repair of the ship. We will also have people taking donations,” McBride said, adding, “Another thing I want to emphasize is that the restoration of the Santa Maria has nothing to do with Christopher Columbus. It’s simply about preserving a historical ship.”

For more information, visit http://sidelkarbenyusef.wix.com/save-the-santa-maria or call McBride at 330-338-0951.