This year’s Pirates Week set sail Friday night, with a special launch party centred around a pop-up shop and exhibition of the event’s history.
The store, on George Town’s Cardinall Avenue, featured souvenirs, as well as exhibitions of old Pirates Week posters and memorabilia designed to spark memories.
Exhibition curator Nasaria Suckoo Chollette said, “I created it in three-and-a-half weeks, so so it was a lot to get done, but I’m pleased with how it’s turned out.
“There’s so much more material, though. I think there needs to be a bigger, in-depth show in the future because of that. Hopefully that will come.”
An exhibit on the history of Pirates Week, from its founding in 1997 by legislator James “Jim” Bodden to the present day, is also on display.
Chollette said, “For Caymanians, the value is all the memories it built when we were kids. We built a lot of shared memories.
“The aspect of heritage is also really important because all the traditional craftspeople and artisans got to display their wares.”
She added that tourists also enjoyed the evening, and many had organised their visits to coincide with Pirates Week.
Husband-and-wife pirates Kelly Haaksma-Lockwood and Michael Lockwood got into the spirit as part of the Las Tortugas Pirates volunteer crew.
Michael, whose father was one of the founders of Pirates Week, said, “It’s a family thing for me.”
Patrice Beersingh, the chairwoman and director of the event, told the crowd at the launch party that it was a multi-faceted festival which celebrated Caymanian history, heritage and culture.
She said the theme this year was “Setting Sail Through Time” and is designed to “reflect on our past as we look to the future”.
Dwayne Seymour, the culture minister, said, “I love to see people enjoying themselves and I love to create stuff so everyone can be proud of Pirates Week.”
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