The Seattle Seafair Pirates will be landing on Alki beach around 1:30pm on June 28 to kick off the annual Seafair celebration. Expect a big crowd, music, lots of kids and the presence of Seafair royalty. 

The Pirates are a beloved and boisterous tradition that dates back to 1949, when a group of younger members from the Washington State Press Club’s Ale & Quail Society decided to inject some theatrical flair into Seattle’s summer festivities.

They helped launch the first Seafair Festival in 1950, and ever since, the Pirates have been its most flamboyant ambassadors. Each summer kicks off with their dramatic “Landing at Alki Beach,” where they symbolically overthrow King Neptune and take over the city, complete with booming cannons, pirate flags, and plenty of swagger.

Originally known as the “Davy Jones operation of SEAFAIR,” the group has grown into a full-fledged performance troupe. They appear in over 40 local parades and hundreds of community events each year, often aboard their iconic land-bound pirate ship, the "Moby Duck."

Beyond the theatrics, the Seafair Pirates are also goodwill ambassadors. They visit hospitals, raise money for charities, and even represent Seattle abroad, from Canada to the Cayman Islands to Taiwan.

One of their more legendary antics? In 1953, they tried to “ransom” the British consul in Seattle to claim a centuries-old pirate bounty fund. You can expect them to appear again in West Seattle during the West Seattle Grand Parade  scheduled for Saturday, July 19th, 2025, starting at 11:00 AM