LOCKPORT — By Bill Wolcott

wolcottb@gnnewspaper.com

OLCOTT — There were sword fights, lots of beads, some eye patches, bandannas and several parrots — all named Polly — at the Pirates Festival at Olcott Beach on Saturday.

Tanya Hillman and her mother, Eydie Reimherr, of Medina were in the parade and dressed up as buccaneers with stuffed parrots on their shoulders.

“We’re just down here to have a good time, me and my mom,” Tanya said. “We’ve been doing it together for nine years at the Pirate Festival, so it’s a good mother-daughter day. We like to give necklaces to kids and senior citizens. We just come down to have a lot of fun.”

The mother and daughter arrived on the ship “Miss Olcott” in the parade. “She brings me. She wants to keep me young,” Eydie said. “This year, we were on our own ship. We had lots of fun in the parade. We like the little ones and their eyes when they see us all dressed up in costumes.”

The festival is sponsored by the Olcott Fire Co. It resumes today at Krull Park.

The notorious pirate Double-Crossing Bill and the crew from Ye Pyrate Brotherhood entertained with tales of the high seas. The cast also tossed in math and history lessons to unsuspecting children.

“I love children and I love history,” said the boson’s mate Lucretia Lacey (Karen Overin of Dublin). “We also do history, lectures, historical reactions, and we’re having a blast.”

The quartermaster is Liam Double La Croix, or Double Crossing Bill (Bill Streit of Queens). He has a degree in American studies and a law degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. When the Vietnam vet isn’t pirating, Bill works at the U.S. Treasury.

The Pyrates sign up children for duties on the ship. After being registered, the kids can look for treasures of beads, coins and rings.

Noreen Reese of Niagara Falls comes every year with the children. “The kids like to dress up as pirates and get the beads from the parade,” she said.

John and Elisa Riis come from Holly with children, Jessica and Jacob. “We like the atmosphere, all the pirate stuff, the parade,” John said.

After the parade, games and food, the family planned to go swimming in Lake Ontario at Krull Park. The beach was open. Carousel Park offered rides for 25 cents.

The bands Mad Solution, Gimme Buffet and Jonsie entertained in the beer pavilion which was manned by the Olcott volunteer firefighters. Night Cruise plays at 1 p.m. today.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott

439-9222, ext. 6246.