Eastport Pirate Festival
- Dates
- Sep 11 to 13, 2026
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Downtown Eastport, Water Street
- Price
- Free
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Aug 24, 2026
The experience
What's special
The Eastport Pirate Festival takes over the easternmost city in the United States - a small Maine port of well under two thousand people - on the weekend after Labor Day each year, and the whole town plays along, flying pirate flags and dressing the part. Run by a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the festival is free to attend: three days of live bands and street performers along Water Street, a parade with public float entries, fire performances, barrel races, children's cutlass lessons, costume contests for all ages, and fireworks over the harbor, with a ticketed Black Pearl Ball as its fundraiser.
What people love
Locals describe the weekend as the biggest event of Eastport's year after the Fourth of July - the festival has grown popular enough that the town's population roughly doubles for it - and visitors call out how completely the town embraces the theme, with costumes and flags everywhere and a community-scale charm to the parade. The parade itself is small, and recent years' accounts note it running smaller than usual, but the surrounding festival is consistently described as a good time and a fitting end to the season.
See it before you go
On the lanes & stages
Costumes & what to wear
Do I need a costume?
Costumes are enthusiastically welcomed, the festival invites everyone who wants to dress as their favorite pirate, wench, mermaid, captain, or damsel, and the whole town joins in, with pirate flags and outfits all over during the weekend. Costume contests run for both children and adults
Costume rules
Costume and prop weapons are allowed but must remain sheathed; functioning projectile weapons and sharpened steel weapons are not allowed
Weapons policy
Costume/prop weapons must remain sheathed; functioning projectile weapons and sharpened steel weapons are not allowed
Joining in
The festival parade takes public float and costume entries with prizes, barrel races invite team sign-ups, and costume contests run for adults and children
Getting there
Nearest airport BGR.
How do I get to Eastport Pirate Festival?
By bus 1
The one scheduled public-transport thread into this corner of Maine: a daily bus that stops right at the Bangor airport terminal (departs BGR 2:15 pm eastbound) and runs the US-1 coast through Ellsworth and Machias to Perry and Calais, with flag stops anywhere along the route. Perry is the closest stop, still about 7 miles from downtown Eastport across the causeway, with no onward local transit, so arrange a pickup with your lodging or a local driver in advance. Call 1-800-596-2823 to confirm times, fares, and your flag stop
Book / info →Taxi & rideshare 1
Rideshare works fine around Bangor, but coverage drops to essentially zero in rural Washington County, do not plan on hailing an Uber in or out of Eastport. A one-way car service for the 110-mile run would be a substantial custom fare; nearly everyone drives themselves
Book / info →By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Use the airport transfers or shuttle options above.
🅿 Parking
On site parking available. Cost Free. Prepay via None, free designated lots, no prepay system. All designated festival parking areas are free, but this is a small island city and spaces are limited, expect to park a few blocks out and walk in. Some downtown spots are time-limited, and accessible parking is reserved at the Post Office. Water Street itself hosts the vendors and events, so arrive early on parade day
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at BGR
Essential for almost every visitor: Eastport is a 2¼-hour drive from the nearest commercial airport (BGR) with no rail, no local transit, and only one daily coastal bus that stops 7 miles short of town. Rental counters are on-site at BGR
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Downtown Eastport, Water Street
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Eastport Pirate Festival?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Budget stays 3
1 Capen Ave, Eastport, historic 1775 cape a short walk from downtown
Book direct →Mid-range hotels 1
Airbnb & private camping
The festival itself points guests to Airbnb and VRBO, vacation rentals meaningfully outnumber commercial rooms Downeast. Inventory spreads across Eastport, Perry, Lubec, and Calais; for the weekend after Labor Day, book months out and expect multi-night minimums in town
Search Airbnb →Camping is a genuinely good way to do this festival: Seaview Campground & RV Resort is right in Eastport (16 Norwood Rd, on the festival's own lodging list), with Hilltop Campground in Robbinston and Keenes Lake in Calais as backups, plus Cobscook Bay State Park about 25 minutes away. Hipcamp lists private-land sites through the surrounding Downeast countryside
Search Hipcamp →Pricing
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