Dunwoody Residents, Band of Pirates Celebrate Fourth

As floats, horses carriages, and marching bands made their way down Mt. Vernon Road, Penny Forman, one of the parade’s organizers, was relieved. The parade was nearly called off.  

“We came out here between six and seven this morning, and it was drizzly, and we were kind of second guessing our decision and some of us were for cancelling or postponing and others were like let’s go with it, and we lucked out.”

Hundreds lined the streets in their red, white, and blues, many waving mini-American flags.

“We were afraid we weren’t going to have spectators and everybody showed up. It just shows how cool of community Dunwoody is.”

Watching the parade go by in a fold-out chair was retired pastor R. Donald Kiernan, who was the parade’s very first grand marshal in 1995. He said the parade still fills him with a sense of community and country.

“This thing makes the local people and the neighborhoods all come together and see one another and be friendly and it makes you proud to be an American.”

As for the parade, one float kept coming up as particularly memorable.

“The highlights for me is the pirates and wenches float which is a very random float for the Fourth of July but that’s always a fun one to watch,” said Dunwoody resident David Woodrow.

Pirates have participated in the parade for years. Their float is constructed as the front bow of a ship sliced in half.   

After the parade, as participants and spectators gathered in downtown Dunwoody for music and lunch, the band of pirates milled about near their ship.

It finally began to drizzle, but no one seem very fazed.

“Are we afraid of getting wet?”

“We’re used to being wet.”

Introductions ensued. 

“Captain Bloody Sam Rockem, captain of the Cursed Few. Based out of Columbus, Georgia but we have crew members throughout the Southeast”

“Catako-Anne Rackem, I’m married to the captain of the Cursed Few.  

“Captain Arlene Scarlett. My port of call is Conyers.”

Another in the clan, Fergus Hardwood, explained pirates are as freedom-loving as Americans. 

“Pirates were the original democracy and the crew decides who the captain’s going to be. If they don’t like the captain, then they kick him out. Did you not see our old captain?”

Hardwood and his band brought out a fake skeleton in a barrel.

“This be our former captain and we do this to radio people, too.”

“He climbed in the crow’s nest to get away from us and there he stayed”

“And he never came down.”

An end to a very Dunwoody Fourth of July.