As you know, I have a two year old and one of his many obsessions aside from Tinkerbell and Elmo, is Pirates. Jake is his favorite show, when we practice our alphabet, his goes "Q, Arrrgh, S" and so forth. We were very excited about this and ended up dedicating an entire day to the event which covered a few blocks of the downtown Boynton Beach area on Ocean Ave between the library and the Schoolhouse Museum. We went in the morning for the start and the afternoon (post naps) for the end and had a wonderful time.
Max started the day in his Jake shirt and was excited to have an event to wear his stuffed parrot to.
 |
| Whoever thought of putting a parrot on a wristlet is a GENIUS. |
The event was full of vendors. There were people selling corsets and hats. Max oped for a $2 foam sword that was confiscated several times during the day. The mood was immediately set by amazing costumes and groups of "sailors" everywhere singing pirate shanties. Max was completely amazed. Then we came upon The Avenger, a wooden pirate ship playground. The cost was $5 for the entire day and totally worth it. It had steam cannons, hammocks, a steering wheel, ladders and slides. I kind of want one for the house. Don't judge me.
While the mermaid was really cool looking, the presentation left something to be desired. Her reveal was opened by two showmen who did mainly slight-of-hand tricks which were easily figured out for anyone over the age of 10. Their antics carried on for a bit too long for the large group of kids that were waiting to see the mermaid and once the curtain was drawn back, there was a mad rush of kids and parents to the tank to get pictures. The problem was that they rushed everyone into taking their pictures and anyone stuck in the back (my shy kid for example) never got a chance to really see her because they were closing up shop. So basically I had to explain to my 2 year old that we waited through the 10 minutes before the show to start, plus the show that carried on way too long that his reward was basically to see the top of a tank of water. I was able to get this one decent shot on the walk out. The mermaid is pretty impressive looking, I will give them that! It was just poorly organized and executed for the masses.
While we remained unimpressed with the mermaid show, there were two that we enjoyed very much.
The High Flying Fools are a comedy type duo that also happens to do some impresses feats of strength on several apparatuses. The show was great at including kids as well as making jokes that were meant for adults. A good time was had by all for sure.
 |
| Serious Kazoo playing. |
Ichabod Wainwright, better known as "The Wheel Walker" is the show you want to see. We were lucky enough to see him two years ago at Ren Fest and his performance is still as amazing as it was then. I strongly suggest you check out his facebook page just to see his HD Point-of-view videos. Simply amazing. If you get the chance to see him in real life, this is the one show your kid won't ask you to leave every 20 seconds.
 |
| Kate, Ichabod and Myself |
We were very happy to see a lot of local breweries represented all together. Especially from our friends at Due South. The little brewery that could is consistently getting rave reviews (especially of their Caramel Cream Ale and Cat 5 IPA). If you have yet to stop in for a pint or a growler, you my friends, are seriously missing out.
As exciting as it was to see craft beer represented, I was pleasantly surprised to be introduced to Mead by the Royal Manor Vineyards. Owners and operators Wanda and Joe were on hand to not only give out a variety of samples, but knowledge of their product which, understandably, they take a lot of pride in. As for their wines, most of the grapes and fruits that they use are grown by them or locally sourced which only adds to the amazing flavor. While many a wino may find the meads to be a bit sweet, the wines themselves were crisp and smooth. Or as I told them "dangerous." My friend (also named Kate) bought us a round of their Sir Carlos after sampling all of their offerings (don't judge us. We hang out with toddlers all day. We can have a little mommy time!). The San Carlos is made with the vineyards white grapes. Served chilled, it was incredibly crisp and light and perfect for a hot night as the festival was winding down. We were so impressed, Kate ended up buying an entire bottle. The prices are incredibly reasonable ranging from $16 to $20. If you come across them, please check them out. You will not be disappointed!
The night ended with some very tired kids who still cannot wrap their heads around all the fun they had. I can't wait to attend again next year and I only hope that the local community continues to support this growing event. If you missed out on the fun this time, I implore you to get out next year!
Until Soon,
Kate
No comments:
Post a Comment