Invading pirates get warm reception in the Bay

Pirates invaded Bay St. Louis on Friday and Saturday yet no one seemed to care.

No worries. A more good-natured bunch of pirates would be hard to find.

Hundreds of young and old from the city and elsewhere turned out for the third annual Pirate Day in the Bay, an event that offered a collage of activities Friday night and all day Saturday, hosted by the Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse.

Some brought jokes:

“Why is pirating so popular? Once you lose your first arm, you’re hooked for life.”

Or, “What do you call a pirate with two eyes, two hands and two legs? A beginner.”

Many dressed for the occasion.

A costume contest brought out contestants from all over the state including Brookhaven, Canton and Meridian. Rick Boehm came to Pirate Day from New Orleans. Grace Birch even dressed up her dog Presley for the contest.

A Saturday-afternoon thunderstorm dampened the event for about 15 minutes, but most of the day worked in everyone’s favor.

“Welcome to Bay St. Louis,” krewe president John Rosetti greeted the crowd gathered beneath a large tent. “Weather’s been great, a little showers to keep it cool.”

The adult fun Friday and Saturday nights featured pub crawls and live music.

The event culminated with a fireworks show presented by Silver Slipper Casino.

Of course, there were plenty of “arghs” and other pirate talk throughout the day. And some more pirate jokes.

“How do pirates communicate with each other?

With an Aye phone. But aye to aye is always best.”

This story was originally published May 20, 2017 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Invading pirates get warm reception in the Bay."