Just shy of 300 yearsago a most colorful and legendary saga unfolded off the coast of Virginia; a battle to the death that would seal the fate of one of history’s most fabled villains; the notorious pirate Blackbeard.In 1718, after a short lived attempt at marriage and a life on the straight and narrow, Edward Teach (AKA Blackbeard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbeard) was no longer able to deny the allure of piracy on the open seas. His return to the life of a swashbuckler had him terrorizing cargo ships along the east coast and Chesapeake Bay, which made the beach at Ocracoke Inlet the perfect place to host a gathering of the world’s most infamous pirates. Word of the festival reaches Virginia Governor Spotswood, and believing that something must be done to end Blackbeard’s reign, he assigns to Lieutenant Robert Maynard the task of capturing or killing Blackbeard. The battle that ensued at sea between Teach and Maynard was vicious and bloody, and would ultimately end in the dread pirate’s untimely demise.
On June 5, 2009 the 10th Annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival comes to the Hampton, Virginia waterfront. The event schedule for this family event is packed with visiting tall ships, re-enactments from impromptu street skirmishes to full-scale battles in the Hampton harbor, music, food and more! Visit http://www.blackbeardpiratefestival.com for more information on this fun and exciting return to some of Virginia’s most thrilling history… if you dare!
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