Ahoy, matey! This Friday and Saturday, August 12 and 13, 2022, Bisbee – Arizona’s own mile-high city – beckons visitors to slap on eye patches, don tricorns, shoulder Black Beard’s Pepe, transform into a fish-tailed mermaid or swashbuckler, and weigh anchor for the 11th Annual Bisbee Pirates of the High Desert two day romp.
This year’s citywide costume event begins at 6 pm on Friday and starts up again at 10 am on Saturday, ending at 2 am on both days. Free and open to the public, its ongoing festivities include pub crawls, magic shows, live music, drum circles with bellydancers, karaoke, costume contests, a pool tournament, relay race, a bake sale, and a dessert-way-of-life-tasting tour of sweets.
For the latest specifics on events and locations, “like” and check for updates at its Bisbee Pirates of the High Desert Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BisbeePirates
Founder and lifelong pirate devotee, Vanessa Hunter, who celebrates a birthday in August, established this event as a Leo-loving gift to herself. Hunter, who coordinates, cajoles, and corrals fellow creatives to put on the event, is looking forward to this first post-COVID event. Attendees are encouraged to share their photographic exploits with a #PiratesOfTheHighDesert hashtag.
Need to get your pirate on?
Hairdresser extraordinaire Victoria Richards of the Bisbee Hairstream will be doing “pirate hair” on Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm at Jen’s Angel, 29 Main Street in historic Bisbee. Braids, dreads, feathers, bandanas, and face jewels will also be available for purchase. If you’re a Bisbee local and you need to tighten up your Captain Jack Sparrow look before Saturday, book an appointment with Richards at her Airstream The Hairstream on Arizona Street in Warren between now and Friday afternoon.
And there’s more
In and amongst the pirate panache, as it does every month on the second Saturday, the historic mining-turned-hipster town of Bisbee, showcases its vibrant self with Bisbee After 5, a free, self-guided tour enticing guests through 30+ shops and galleries, all with special sales, creative promotions, or drawings. Live entertainment, refreshments, and artists' receptions add welcome to this city of stairs. The social media savvy are asked to tag photos with #BisbeeAfter5
Bisbee History and weekend weather watch
Established in 1902, Bisbee is built along the slopes of Tombstone Canyon in the heart of the Mule Mountains. Located in the Chiricahuan Desert, Bisbee is situated in Arizona’s most southeasterly county of Cochise. Sitting at 5300 feet (1600 meters) elevation, Bisbee is the southern-most mile-high locale in the United States.
This weekend’s forecast calls for mid-80 highs smack dab in the humidity of the summer monsoon, which means watch for a place to dash inside in case of afternoon showers.
Top 10 Pirate Phrases
1. Ahoy! = Hello
2. Aye = Yes
3. Blimey! = Surprise / Shock
4. Booty = Treasure
5. Landblubber = Lack of Sailing Skills
6. Old Salt = Experienced Sailor
7. Yo Ho Ho! = Cheerful Expression
8. Shiver Me Timbers! = Holy Cow
9. Scallywag = Mild Insult / Joking Term
10. Walk the Plank = Prisoner Forced Overboard
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