Quirky MS Coast celebration with pirate costumes, parades & more happening soon. Here’s when
If you visit Bay St. Louis during a certain time of year, you’ll see vibrant parades and people dressed as pirates.
That’s your sign that you’ve come across one of the town’s most anticipated annual events: Pirate Day in the Bay.
This year, the celebration takes place May 15-16, marking the event’s 11th anniversary. Here’s what to expect during the festivities.
What is Pirate Day in the Bay?
Named a “Top 20 Event” by the Southeast Tourism Society, Pirate Day in the Bay is a fundraising event for Hancock County hosted by the Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse, according to Coastal Mississippi.
The event was started to honor the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bay St. Louis in the War of 1812, WLOX reported.
The celebration includes parades, costume contests, live music, a firework display and more, according to the event’s official webpage.
Most of the weekend events are free and family-friendly; there’s a fee for the Pirate Invasion Parade and the Pub Crawl, according to the event’s webpage.
What’s the schedule for this year?
Here’s the official schedule, listed on the event’s webpage:
Friday, May 15
4 p.m. | Pirate Central & Vendors open
4:15 p.m. | Pirates Welcome
5-9:30 p.m. | Pub Crawl & Treasure Hunt
7-11 p.m. | Live Music by Delta Variant
Saturday, May 16
10 a.m. | Pirate Central & Vendors open
10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Kids’ Costume Sign Up
10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Dane the Balloon Man
11 a.m. | Lil’ Buccaneers’ Parade
12 p.m. | Kids’ Costume Contest
11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Adult Costume Contest Sign Up
1 p.m. | Adult Costume Contest
2-5 p.m. | Live Music by BSL Trio
3:30 p.m. | Golf Cart Staging and Judging
5 p.m. | Pirate Invasion Parade
6 p.m. | Pirate Invasion Takeover
7-11 p.m. | Live Music by Retro
9 p.m. | Fireworks
9: 30 p.m. | Grand Prize Drawing for Blackstone Grill w/Swag
What’s the weather forecast for Pirate Day in the Bay?
Blue skies and sunshine are expected for this year’s Pirate Day in the Bay festivities, according to AccuWeather experts.
Highs in the lower 80s are expected for both Friday and Saturday, with lows in the 70s and high 60s, the forecast shows.
