RICHMOND — The pirate called herself Bloodthirsty, but she seemed pretty nice.
Telling her that in person was nearly this reporter’s last mistake.
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“Do you want to continue this interview, or do you want me to show you my wares?” she said, drawing her sword halfway out of the holster on her hip.
Perhaps the most inescapable event of this year’s Richmond Days was the pirate battle put on by the Rockport-based Pirates of the Dark Rose. It took place after the 10 a.m. parade.
“We pillage all the time, but we haven’t been here in some time,” Bloodthirsty said.
Bloodthirsty and her crew, with cannons and flintlock pistols and rifles blazing, defended their treasure and onlookers at Fort Richmond Waterfront Park from Captain Crudbeard, who sailed his ship around Swan Island in the Kennebec River to advance on the mainland.
When the captain and his crew went ashore, a short sword battle ended in compromise — the two sides shared the treasure.
But the pirates weren’t the only ones playing this year.
Richmond Police Chief Scott MacMaster said 4,500 people usually descend on the town at peak times on Richmond Days, which kicked off Friday night and lasted through the fireworks Saturday night.
Last year, he said no arrests were made. He cited the “laid-back, family-oriented crowd” as a reason.
“Basically, our biggest challenge is, of course, the people’s safety and making sure people get through town in a timely manner,” he said.
And that was a challenge — at the parade’s peak, he said there was a 20- to 25-minute delay for drivers looking to cross town via Main Street.
The Main Street foot traffic was beneficial to many vendors — young and old.
Three kids, Emily Snowden, 11, Josh Snowden, 10, and Molly Meagher, 11, were selling homemade muffins and cookies, snow cones and lemonade outside a Main Street house.
By 9:45 a.m., they said they made $11, and said their goal for revenue was anywhere from $20 to $30. The profit, they said, would be split equally.
But that money may not have lasted long.
“Either we’re going to spend it at Richmond Days or save it,” Emily Snowden said.
Older vendors did well, too — the Richmond Senior Citizen Group’s sale in the parking lot of Bucky’s Auto Repair was hopping before the parade.
“We didn’t even get things out of the boxes before they got here,” said the group’s treasurer, Linda Lebel.
State Sen. Seth Goodall, a Richmond Democrat, was also on hand. He said the Sagadahoc County Democrats usually march in the parade, but didn’t this year.
He said the event was a boon for small businesses on Maine Street and hoped attendees from away would “refamiliarize” themselves with the community because of the event.
“It brings people downtown,” Goodall said. “The biggest thing — it’s for our kids and our community.”
And when it comes to why they enjoyed Richmond Days, the ragtag pirate and the straight-laced senator seem on the same side of the aisle.
“There’s a festival here,” Bloodthirsty said. “All festivals have treasure.”
Michael Shepherd — 621-5662
mshepherd@mainetoday.com
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