Ahoy! Pirates to invade Hampton, again.

HAMPTON — Shiver me timbers!

The annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival is returning after being canceled the past two years because of the pandemic.

The festival kicks off at 6 p.m. June 3 with the “Pirate’s Parlay” at Mill Point Park in downtown Hampton. The family-friendly event is free and will include live music. Everyone is encouraged to wear “their finest piratical attire,” according to a news release from the city.

The event is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 4 and from noon to 6 p.m. June 5. Events will include costumed re-enactors, cannon battles, music and history lectures. Fireworks are planned for 9 p.m. that Saturday over the Hampton River.

The festival is inspired by Hampton’s real history with pirates.

Blackbeard was known to terrorize ships and people along the East Coast and Chesapeake Bay until then-Virginia Gov. Alexander Spotswood decided to put a stop to it.

Two small ships carrying members of the Royal Navy and Hamptonians set sail from Hampton on a quest to find Blackbeard.

The pirate was killed by Lt. Robert Maynard. It was said that when Maynard returned to Virginia, he gave Blackbeard’s severed head to Spotswood. According to legend, Blackbeard’s head was mounted on a stake at the entrance to the Hampton River as a warning to other pirates.

The festival also will feature character ships, including Blackbeard’s sailing ship Adventure and Royal Navy vessels Jane and Ranger, as well as merchant vessels, which will engage in battles on the Hampton River.

Jessica Nolte, 757-912-1675, jnolte@dailypress.com