The Cayman Islands is this week once again celebrating its national festival, Pirates Week, now in its 38th year.

The ten day event boasts something for everyone, from the ever popular pirate’s invasion and float parade in the centre of Hog Sty Bay, to annual favourites like the steel band competition, card board boat race, teen dance parties, sporting events, district heritage days and the highly anticipated food festivals.

“Pirates Week is an event for everyone, it’s not something that is just designed to facilitate a certain group of people, we want to reach every demographic in the Cayman Islands,” said Pirates Week Executive Director, Melanie McField.

Some of the other items on the events calendar for Grand Cayman’s celebration include the Pirates welcome party, a Festival Queen costume competition, an underwater treasure hunt and a children’s fun fair day which caters to more than 600 children each year.

One of the two new events planned for this year is set to light up the capital, a night parade called “Illumination”. The gives competitors a second opportunity to show off their intricate float designs through twinkling lights or glow in the dark paint.

“A lot of people put a lot of time and effort into constructing these floats and this gives them another opportunity to showcase them but in a totally different way,” said Ms. McField.

The other exciting addition is the “Pirate Pooch Parade” which hopes to get even the furriest of participants involved in this year’s festivities. Costumes for pets and their owners are on sale at the Pirates Week Offices on Shedden Road.

So that everyone gets the best experience possible out of this year’s event, Ms. McField said official 2015 Pirates Week T-shirts are also on sale with a discount available to corporations who purchase 25 shirts or more for their staff members.

“Nowhere else in the Caribbean can you do this, nowhere else can you dress up for a fantasy pirate festival for more than a week, where we also get to showcase our history, our food, our musicians,” she said.

The festival will also play host to the “Bajan Invasion” fete which features soca artists from Barbados including Lead Pipe, Saddis and Edwin Yearwood alongside local musicians, Stuart Wilson, Olujimi La Pierre, Andrea Rivera, Vashti Bodden and Johnathan Ebanks.

Back again this year is the “Pirate Star” hosted by Cayman’s own Grammy award winning producer, Jason Gilbert and Dane Ramoon of Star 92.7.   The singing showcase will highlight up and coming local performers vying for the chance to be signed to a record label.

Another musical treat for more mature audiences will feature Jamaican greats, Pluto Shervington, Ernie Smith and Trinidad’s Denise Belfon.

“Pirates Week, as the biggest event on island, showcases more local talent than any other event and I think it’s important to continue to push home what we already have and to support our own,” said Ms. McField.

Some of that talent will also be seen in Saturday’s (14 November) pre-landing event, where local water sports professional from Fat Fish Adventures will be performing alongside international acrobatic performers and other stunt men.

“There’s all sorts of entertainment to look forward to on land and in the water,” said Ms. McField.

Ms. McField further added, “Pirates Week is an event that isn’t possible without the support of our business community.  Sponsors such as the Ministry of Tourism, our title sponsors Miller Lite & Bacardi,  Cayman Airways, Digicel, Department of Tourism, Flow, Radio Cayman – only to name a few — contribute significantly to success on Pirates Week”.

For a full calendar of events log on to http://www.piratesweekfestival.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/CaymanIslandsPiratesWeekFestival contact the Pirates Week office directly for further information.

GRAND CAYMAN

Thursday – Nov 12, 2015

Pirates Week Happy Hour

sponsored by Margarita Ville

5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

CUC’s Pan In De City (Steel Pan Event),

Harbour Drive, sponsored by

Caribbean Utility Company (CUC)

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Pirates Week Kick-off Party (live band and DJ) sponsored by Miller Lite and Bacardi

9:00 pm – 2:00 am

Friday – Nov 13, 2015

Pirates Week 5K Run (Bayshore Mall) sponsored by The Ministry of Sports

3:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Food Festival, Royal Bank of Canada and Kirk Freeport parking lots, Shedden Road

6:00 pm – 2:00 am

Children’s Pirate Costume Competition sponsored by Home Gas

7:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Hard Rock Café presents, Harbour Drive sponsored by the Green Parrot

7:00 pm – 2:00 am

Miss Festival Queen Competition, Harbour Drive sponsored by The Ministry of Culture

7:45 pm – 9:00 pm

Fireworks, Harbour Drive sponsored by Lobster Pot and Department of Tourism

8:30 pm – 8:45 pm

Street Dance, Harbour Drive sponsored by Miller Lite, Bacardi, and Digicel

9.00 pm – 2.00 am

Saturday – Nov 14, 2015

5K Sea Swim at Grand Cayman Beach Suites sponsored by KPMG

7:30 am

Pre-Landing Entertainment, Harbour Drive

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Landing Pageant at Hog Sty Bay followed by Float Parade, Harbour Drive

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Food Festival, Royal Bank of Canada and

Kirk Freeport parking lots, Shedden Road

1:00 pm – Midnight

Street Dance, Harbour Drive/Shedden Road sponsored by Miller Lite, Bacardi, and Digicel

7:00 pm – Midnight

Teen Up, Teen Street Dance,

Goring avenue sponsored by Pepsi

7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Hard Rock Café presents, Harbour Drive sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe

7:00 pm – Midnight

Sunday – Nov 15, 2015

Children’s Fun Fair Day, Pedro St. James sponsored by CIBC First Caribbean Int’l
12:00 pm – 04:00 pm

Underwater Treasure Hunt at Divetech, West Bay sponsored by Divetech
1:00 pm – 04:00 pm

George Town Heritage Day, sponsored by FLOW
11:00 am – 07:00 pm

East End Heritage Day, Heritage Field, sponsored by FLOW

11:00 am – 02:00 am

Fireworks at 8:00 pm

Wednesday – Nov 18, 2015

West Bay Heritage Day, sponsored by FLOW

11:00 am – 11:00 pm

Fireworks at 8:00 pm

North Side, Water Key Public Park (next to Kaibo) Heritage Day, sponsored by FLOW

11:00 am – 02:00 am

Fireworks at 8:00 pm

Mike Lockwood Memorial International Swim Meet, Lions Aquatic Center sponsored by Foster’s Food Fair
03:30 pm – 08:00 pm

Friday – Nov 20, 2015

Bodden Town Heritage Day, harry McCoy Park / Nurse Josie Senior Centre, Gun Square Av. sponsored by FLOW

11:00 am – 06:00 pm

Fireworks at 8:00 pm

NEW: Pirates Week Charity Golf Classic. North Sound Golf Course, sponsored by FLOW
12:00 am – 07:30 pm

Mike Lockwood Memorial International Swim Meet, Lions Aquatic Center sponsored by Foster’s Food Fair
04:00 pm – 08:00 pm

Mike Lockwood Memorial International Swim Meet, Lions Aquatic Centre sponsored by Foster’s Food Fair
8:00 am – 5:00 pm

NEW: Pirate Pooch Parade Harbour Drive
9:00 am – 11:30 am

Caybrew Cardboard Boat Race, Hog Sty Bay sponsored by Kirk Freeport11:30 am – 5:00 pm

Sentencing of the Pirates, Harbour Drive

6:30 pm

NEW: “Illumination” Night Parade, Harbour Drive

7:00 pm

Teen Up, Teen Street Dance, Goring Avenue sponsored by Pepsi

7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Hard Rock Café presents, Harbour Drive sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe

7:00 pm – midnight

Fireworks, Harbour Drive, sponsored by Lobster Pot and Department of Tourism
8.00pm

Street Dance Finale and Food Festival – Harbour Drive/Shedden Road
8:30 pm – 12:00 am

Sunday – Nov 22, 2015

“To Hell and Back” 10K Run sponsored by Calico Jack’s
7:00 am

Mike Lockwood Memorial International Swim Meet, Lions Aquatic Centre sponsored by Foster’s Food Fair
8:00 am

Pirates Week Full Moon Madness, Calico Jack’s sponsored by Miller Lite and Bacardi
8:00 am – 12:00 am

LITTLE CAYMAN

Friday – Nov 27, 2015

Little Cayman Kick-off Dance, Salt Rock Dock
8:00 pm – 2:00 am

FIREWORKS, Salt Rock Dock
11:00 pm

Float Parade, Head O Bay
3:00 pm – 4:45 pm

Saturday – Nov 28, 2015

Costume Competition and Pirate’s Dance, Hungry Iguana
5:00 pm – Midnight

FIREWORKS, Hungry Iguana
7:00 pm