People choose to live in Washington County because it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. On top of that you have real communities where neighbors care about neighbors and life is celebrated with some of the best home grown events to be found anywhere in the USA.

One of those events is the Eastport Pirate Festival held the weekend after Labor Day every year. This year marks the 5th Annual Eastport Pirate Festival September 10-12, 2010.

The 3-day event has quickly grown into the largest Pirate Festival in Northern New England and the Canadian Maritimes. Last year over 8000 pirates from the USA, Canada and beyond of all ages, both male and female participated in this family event. Most of the events are free and friendly on your budget. The backdrop for the festivities is the beautiful island city of Eastport (population 1603). A Pirates Ball, Pirates Parade, Pirates Bed Race, Pirate Ship Race, Pirate Invasion of Lubec, Pirates Lobster Boat Race, Crowning of the King and Queen, Free music and entertainment, Kid's Pirates Breakfast, Cutlass and Canon Demonstrations, great food and vendors are just a small part of the offerings that happen all weekend. Everyone including pets are encouraged to dress and speak like a pirate.

"Not only is this event attended by thousands of people of all ages, it also enjoys the support of several dozen dedicated volunteers that work year round and several hundred businesses in Eastport, Washington County and around Maine that make it possible for over 90% of the events to be free for everyone," says organizer and treasurer Christopher Wadsworth Brown.

New this year will be the first International (Pirate) Lobster Boat Race that will be open to fishermen from both the USA and Canada with a minimum $1000.00 prize. Lobster Boat Racing is big on the coast of Maine. The Eastport Pirate Festival Lobster Boat Race will not be sanctioned as part of the Maine circuit this year ... but could be in the future. Last year there were 8 sanctioned races from Boothbay Harbor to Stonington. The events draw thousands of residents and tourists.

"A day at the lobster boat races on the Coast of Maine is a pure adrenalin rush for the contestants and those cheering them on," says Pirate Festival founder John Miller. Whether you’re drawn to the races as a serious competitor, or just to watch from the shore and cheer on your favorite Fisherman... this is a pure and uniquely Maine and The Maritimes event that you will never see in the rest of the world. A day at the Pirate Lobster Boat Races will kick your Maine or New Brunswick Blood into high gear ... even if your from Oklahoma."

Other exciting additions to this years Festival will be announced in July and August. New to the Pirate Festival this year will be street vendors reflecting the best of the region and that compliment local Eastport businesses.

Real Pirates sailed the waters around this historic island that was once captured and occupied by the British during the War of 1812. History on the island is thick. Just off its shore is President Franklin Roosevelt's beloved home at Campobello. The little shops on Water Street are the same places Eleanor Roosevelt shopped for groceries and shoes for her children and asked the proprietors' to "send the bill to the White House." The family of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow still operates the nation's oldest ship's chandlery on the waterfront and it is not uncommon to see the faces of America's most famous celebrities blending in with the locals.

"After five short years the word is out throughout all of Christendom that the Eastport Pirate Festival is the place to be the second weekend in September here on the planet," says Festival Chairman Ross Furman. " I was in Florida this winter and people there were talking about coming to Eastport for the Pirate Festival. They were planning on coming for the Pirate Invasion of Lubec the week before (Labor Day Weekend) and staying all week for the Pirate Festival. This event is certainly great for our local economy on both sides of the border."

On Moose Island everyone waves and makes you feel welcome. Not to worry, a causeway system was built 73 years ago that allows for easy driving to the island.

Every year the Pirates of the Dark Rose, a professional performance group brings the streets to life. America's top Pirate band the Brigands also return this year to provide visitors with lots of free entertainment. It is time once again to get your Pirate on at the Eastport Pirate Festival 2010.

"Eastport and our neighboring communities have truly become a marquee destination for summer visitors," says Furman. "Between the St. Andrews Seafood Festival, The Blueberry Festival in Machias, International Festival in Calais/St. Stephen, Indian Days at Pleasant Point, Grand Lake Stream Festival at Grand Lake Stream, Eastport's 4th of July, The Pirate Invasion of Lubec and their Summer Keys Concerts, Eastport Salmon Weekend and The Eastport Pirate Festival our corner of the world can claim Maine's and New Brunswick's very best offerings for Summer."

For those wishing to obtain vendor information, Lobster Boat Race info or for complete information visit the Eastport Pirate Festival Website at www.eastportpiratefestval.com or call Chris Brown at 207-853-4343.