Pirates Week gets big cash injection

Ensuring that Pirate’s Week was a rip-roaring success this year, Dwayne Seymour, Minister for Border Control, Labour & Culture, outlined at a press conference last Wednesday that government had allocated $574,000 to the weeklong event and an entire steering committee was working hard to make sure it was a success.

This year’s theme would be Setting Sail through Time and would be including several new features not seen in previous in Pirate’s Week festivals, including a drone show and some headlining music acts, including Fab 5 Inc, a band from Jamaica and Soca sensation Bunji Garlin.

Minister Seymour said one of the most beloved features of Pirates Week had traditionally been the District Days and they would be back, giving each district the chance to celebrate its unique culture.

The District Days would begin on Monday 11th November at George Town, then North Side on 12th November, followed by East End on 13th, West Bay on 14th, Bodden Town on 15th, Little Cayman on 23rd and Cayman Brac would be closing the District Days on 30th November.

The Minister said to expect music, food and crafts all to add a local flavour to the celebrations, bringing the vibrance of culture to the forefront.

Highlights of the weeklong event would include a drone show followed by a live concert on 9th November featuring Fab 5 Inc and Swanky Kitchen Band.  On 16th November, there would be a firework finale followed by a fete featuring Bunji Garlin.

There would be a Family Fun Day on the 10th November at The Cayman Turtle Centre and children 12 and under who come dressed as pirates would get free entry. The Minister said as this was the 25th anniversary of the Cayman National Cultural Foundation’s Gimistory cultural festival, this event would be woven into proceedings as a key feature of the District Days, enhancing the cultural richness of the celebrations. Artist Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, Horacio Esteban and cultural pioneer Henry Muttoo would also feature in the celebrations.

The grand float parade would speak to the theme of celebrating maritime history and heritage, he advised.

The funding of $574,000 would go towards funding heritage days, secure local and international artists and setting up stages and firework displays, he said.

“The budget allocation allows us to create a celebration that not only boosts our economy by attracting visitors but also reinforces our local pride and gives our people a platform to showcase our rich culture and traditions,” he said.

Patrice Beersingh, Pirates Week Chair and Festival Director, said that Pirates Week was so much more than just a celebration of pirate folk law, it was a celebration of culture and maritime history.

Ms Beersingh outlined further events to look out for, including a Pirates Week bar crawl, enabling them to partner with all bars to support local establishments with shuttle buses running continuously. Expect live music and drink specials. There would also be a Mike Lockwood swim meet, the ever-popular cardboard boat race, the iconic pirates landing in the George Town harbour, a 5k Dave Martins honouring the cultural icon with proceeds going to the One-to-one charity (formerly BBBS) and a turtle release.

Ms Beersingh said the festival would give Cayman the chance to honouring the past while chartering a course for the future.

Ambassador for Culture Miss Universe Cayman Reagan Rutty said:

“Pirates Week is an extraordinary opportunity for our culture history and heritage to shine brightly in the spotlight. This is our moment to showcase to residents, visitors and the world the unique offerings that set us apart from the rest of the Caribbean.”

She continued: “This year’s theme Setting Sail through Time evokes a sense of nostalgia and offers us a chance to engage in traditional crafts and activities. The art of rope making, for example, is not just a craft, it symbolises our resilience and ability to adapt through generations,” she said, calling ‘Gimistory’ “a beautiful bridge” connecting gens where young and old could come together captivated by Cayman stories.

Organisers say there is still spaces for vendors, with a deadline of 25th October.