Seattle Seafair Pirates

In 1949, the younger members of the Washington State Press Club's, action committee, the Ale & Quail Society, founded the Seattle Seafair Pirates. The members of the Ale & Quail Society then joined together with other community leaders to create Seattle's first Seafair festival in 1950. Since that time the Seattle Seafair Pirates have directed their energies and talents toward the promotion and production of Seattle's annual Seafair festivities.

Every summer since 1950 the Seafair festivities have begun with the annual proclamation of Davy Jones' renewed warfare upon the upstart, so-called "King" Neptune. In due course the city falls and the Mayor hands over the keys to the city at the Pirate's Landing. The Seafair Pirates have triumphed again!

In early days the Seafair Pirates' triumph often included the burning of Neptune's flagship, complete with fire-works. Alas, that stopped when the derelict ships ran short.

The Seafair Pirates are led by Captain Kidd and Davy Jones. Captain Kidd is elected by the Ale & Quail Society to lead their pirate operations. Davy Jones, an honorary Seafair Pirate, is chosen from the Seattle community to sail with the Pirates for one year.

Not only involved in Seafair, the Seattle Seafair Pirates participate in parades and community events throughout the State of Washington on a year-around basis promoting Greater Seattle. Visitations to hospitals, children's homes, telethons and similar activities arc all part of the Seafair Pirate's activities. All the expenses for these activities are borne by the members of the Seafair Pirates.

Always seeking to promote Seattle and Seafair, the Seafair Pirates have had many adventures over the years. In 1953 the Seafair Pirates heard of a fund that had been established to ransom British subjects captured by pirates. By then the fund was worth well over a million dollars. In an attempt to collect this treasure the Seafair Pirates kidnapped the British consul and vice-consul, informing the government of Great Britain that the pirates of old were still in business.

More recently, 1993 saw the Pirate's first operation in Japan, where in Seattle's sister city of Kobe, the Seafair Pirates invaded the "land of the rising sun." That year the Pirates were invited to represent Seattle in Kobe's annual festival. If you think the Seafair Pirates stand out here you should've seen us stop traffic in Japan.

And what a shock for hometown tourists to step off their cruise liners in Grand Cayman, to be met by their own Seattle Seafair Pirates.

Each year the Seafair Pirates are invited to invade Grand Cayman and participate in their national festival, "Pirates Week." This ten day celebration includes a "Pirate's Landing," complete with a Spanish galleon, that makes us feel right at home.


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