MACKINAW CITY, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – In this COVID 19 era of event cancellations, it is somewhat refreshing and hopeful to find a new activity beginning in 2020.
Star Line Mackinac Island Hydro-Jet® Ferry, who acquired the Good Fortune pirate ship last year and moved it from its Munising home near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, hosts the first-ever Great Lakes Pirate Festival on Saturday. From 11 AM to 5 PM at the boat company’s Mackinaw City dock, there will be a variety of family-friendly attractions and competitions, including a “Dress Like a Pirate” contest, a “Talk Like a Pirate” showdown, an early evening cruise under the Mackinac Bridge on the Good Fortune, and more for kids of all ages.
“We wanted to create an event that will give visitors an exciting reason to shake off the cabin fever that’s been building over the last few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jerry Fetty, CEO of Star Line Mackinac Island Hydro-Jet® Ferry in a statement. “What better way to do that than with a pirate festival! We know there’s a little pirate in everybody, and this festival is a fun, family-friendly event that both adults and children can enjoy.”
“It will be socially distant,” added Pure Michigan VP Dave Lorenz on “WHTC Morning News” during his weekly appearance, admitting the current reality. “It will be a little strange, of course, because of all these needs to adjust, but it’s good to see some events being able to make it happen, and to be safe and all. We wish them the very best, and it sounds as if it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The start of the Great Lakes Pirate Festival comes amidst the cancellation of long-standing annual events statewide such as Holland’s Tulip Time, ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, and the Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven, all of which are victims of health-related concerns for 2020.
