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Jack Sparrow,” and how he arrived after the U.S. Jensen looked quite busy as she was dealing with vendors, fare attendees, and awaiting the close of the festival’s first day. “They’ve been doing really well,” she said. Jensen’s favorite aspects from Friday were Jeffers’ musical performance and the rock-climbing wall. Saturday and Sunday were sunny and the high temperatures were 74 and 84, according to The Weather Channel’s website. “We’re hoping with the price of gas and the heat in Seattle and Portland that they’ll be making the short trip here to Westport.” “It’s always bigger on Saturday,” she said. Jensen said the crowd, with an estimated attendance of about 5,000 or so on Friday, was smaller than projected for Saturday, June 25, and Sunday, June 26.

She said she, and her crew of volunteers, have tried to bring old and new music. She was proud of how the event started Friday, June 24. “Last year, I swear it was like Armageddon,” Jensen said. One thing that stood out to Jensen was the stark contrast in weather, from June 2021, which saw temperatures hit 100 in the Pacific Northwest. Rose Jensen, coordinator for Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze, was happy as could be during the last hour of the festival when The Daily World asked her about her thoughts about day one of the festival. “I’m busy working so much, I barely get a chance to say ‘Hi’ to everybody,” she said. Strode, who also loves the parade, wished she had more time to enjoy the festival. Strode spoke about her favorite part of the festival. Strode, from Westport, estimated that her first year at Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze was 2001, one year after the festival started.

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Ronda Strode, owner of Bay City Sausage, provided two grills full of smoked turkey legs, a variety of sausage, including a hearty, and flavorful German Garlic sausage, plus cold offerings for those who wanted to take a wide array of meats home. While there was much entertainment - from boisterous pirate characters, to music from Scott Jeffers, and music from the Celtic Rock band “Tempest,” nonalcoholic, and alcoholic drinks, and plenty of other swashbuckling fun, there was also some delicious food that drew quite a crowd. “Why didn’t the razor clam share his toys? McNeal asked. “He spent so many years at C.”Īnother of McNeal’s jokes is better to read. “Why did it take so many years for a pirate to learn the alphabet? McNeal asked. McNeal gave a couple examples of the jokes he tells. “I tell nautical jokes,” said McNeal with his stuffed squid named “Squirt,” who was hanging onto his left shoulder. McNeal’s main purpose during the festival is to “amuse” the children. McNeal has been coming to Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze, off and on, for the last couple years. His name? “Foul Weather.” His land name is Tim McNeal, and he hails from Bremerton. In addition to pirates, who wandered along downtown Westport’s Westhaven Drive, there were children with skull face paint, and there was even a man with a skull mask and a squid that adorned his shoulder. “Every self-respecting pirate’s got to live on a ship,” said Schmidt with a smile. Schmidt isn’t just a pirate during Westport’s yearly festival, which was celebrating its 22nd year - 2020 was canceled because of COVID-19. “I’m just a young kid at heart (who) likes to play grown-up pirate.” He explained why he expects to come back next year. “I fell in love with it, and I expect to come here for many more years,” Schmidt said. Schmidt, from Portland, was attending his second year at Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze. Schmidt’s macaw, “Jazz” is 45 years old, brilliantly colored, and quite active. The black-hatted pirate with a scarlett, blue, and yellow macaw hanging from his shoulder, and a real 3-foot metal sword sheathed on his belt, stopped for photographs, and insisted on people taking “selfies” with him. Ron Schmidt, dressed in pirate garb, was a hit with children and adults alike. While pirates, like the Vassars, made for authentic, classic pirate fun, one man had a real macaw with him. “I feel like next year will be even bigger,” Mike Vassar said. Despite attendance in the thousands throughout the first day of Rusty Scupper’s Pirate Daze, the Vassars would like to see more people.

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