Thanks to West Seattle musician and entrepreneur Brent Amaker for the photos and report – he says the Seafair Pirates followed up their appearance in the West Seattle Grand Parade by storming the newly reopened Admiral Benbow (4210 SW Admiral Way), a past lair.
Not too much time to tarry ashore, though – parade season is peaking, with the Seafair Chinatown Parade tomorrow night and the Seafair Torchlight Parade one week from tonight!
Worst float in the whole parade. The cannon + their commitment to acting like “tough” pirates towards kids was very cringy. No one needed that cannon going off around the babies and kiddos with every one on edge already.
Maybe your kids don’t like it but my 2.5 years old and his siblings love it. The cannon is the best part of it and they give enough warnings for folks to plug their ears.
My kids loved the pirates. Now almost 20 they went down there just to see them. My 3 year old insisted on wearing his pirate costume one year. Best photo ever.
Agree! Also, they were very inconsiderate towards the WSHS cheerleaders ahead of them. Only float that acted irresponsibly and tossed treats to kids even though all floats were told not to do so.
I haven’t been to the parade for awhile, but they’ve always thrown treats when I was there. When it was still hi-u, and when I was younger a lot of the performers did.
What exactly did they do to the WSHS Cheerleaders that was inconsiderate, I didn’t attend?AND you know they are Pirates, not the Mother Theresa…
Uh, yeah – cuz pirates always obey rules and are quiet and polite. They’re pirates, for gawd’s sake!
Frank – if you’re new here, we forgive you. If your not, surely you know the pirates will be there doing exactly what they do.I think they do a great job and that cannon is pretty awesome.
Are you new around here? I’ve been going to the hi-Yu (west Seattle) parade since the 70s. Back then they were all drunk and would literally take parents onto their boat “hostage” and literally leave kids without adults. What you’re describing is harmless. My friend who’s son is autistic wears headphones, knowing that it’s going to be more than he can handle.
Frank – I was born and raised here. And, you’re right. The pirates are loud bullies. I didn’t enjoy them as a kid and I don’t enjoy them as an adult. Not all traditions are good traditions.
The Wussification of West Seattle continues..Seen the Pirates since the late 70s. Best part of parade and have been entertaining kids / adults for decades. A little frightening as a kid ? Yes, but my Mom always was there to explain. Instead of critizing a legacy, why dont you use this as a parenting opportunity? Years ago parents would cheer the arrival of the Pirates and deal with it. Now everyone is so quick to ensure “Little Johnny” never enounters any adversity. Unfortunately the real world is much scarier than the Seafair Pirates..
Frank – you must be new here. The pirates are an institution in West Seattle. I remember being scared of them 60 years ago as a little girl and I made it through. Long live the Seafair Pirates!
I agree. It was almost 60 years ago with my first encounter with the pirates. I was scared, but they gave me treats. I was 4 years old. It’s all fun. Seafair Pirates, don’t ever change your routine. It’s the one sense of normalcy we have when the Seafair Pirates do the same fun stuff! Frank, if you don’t like it, then go home and hide in your house.
Haha…these responses are hilarious. So glad they did it (while they still have the chance….Frannnk) the way they did in the 1980s! Toss the candy, but scare the kids a bit when they go to grab it. Cannon firing! When I was six, it was the closest thing to Disneylands Pirates of the Caribbean ride in LA. Tradition is important.
My user name may be waikikigirl but I’m born and raised in Seattle (66yrs) and was never afraid of the Pirates we’d actually get more excited when we would hear their cannon going off in the distance because we knew they’d soon be going by us! And as “J” stated you must be new here so now you know and will be able to be away when Seafair happenings are going on, because Seafair is Seattle and it’s here to stay!!!
ROCK ON! I remember the anticipation from the distant cannon!! Cue monster movie entrance music! That dark lead up was epic fun for a kid!
The pirates put a sword to my four year olds throat and made her cry. I know they were having “fun”, but it was not mutual, nor was it appropriate. My small child child was so upset we had to leave the parade. Ruined the event for my family.
I have a really hard time believing that. The pirates were tame this year, just dragging their swords on the street to make sparks. Got lots of cheers and whoops.
Not new here. IMO the pirates are the worst part of Seattle events.
Some of these comments must be from the tTime Out generation and or not all Pirates are the Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean pirates!
Frank (and others), your opinions matter and you are heard (by me at least). New or not, you are welcome to live in West Seattle. Don’t listen to the bullies in this thread, they don’t represent the values of Seattle. I hope that you and your children were able to enjoy the rest of this wonderful Seattle weekend. To the rest of your jerks… One of your neighbors just said their children didn’t feel safe in West Seattle and your response was to tell them to go away. What are you thinking? I hope you take some time this week to reflect on how inappropriate that is and to think through how to make your neighbors feel more welcome.
The Seafair Pirates are the best thing about Seafair back in the days of Hy-U for me this was the best part! We as kids were smart enough to know that it was all an act, but we loved how they would drag their swords on the cement and “kidnap” people!! The cannon also was the best part too, it seems people these days are so freaking tender footed! So sad but funny.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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