In reversal, Fort Myers Beach Pirate Festival will go on

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. The Fort Myers Beach Pirate Festival will held this year after all.

The 12th annual event was canceled earlier Monday, but the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce decided late Monday afternoon to move forward with a modified schedule and format.

The admission fee is waived, and events will be spaced out along Old San Carlos Boulevard, the chamber said.

Other elements of the Oct. 6-8 festival will be missing, but the chamber didn’t specify what those would be.

The chamber cited Hurricane Irma recovery and the continued threat of more hurricanes for its initial decision to call off the event. Irma also played a role in the chamber’s reversal.

“We feel that with a modified schedule and format, our Pirate Fest Weekend will still bring much needed stress relief and normalcy to our residents and guests while allowing our businesses to rebound from the Hurricane’s financial impact,” chamber president Jacki Liszak said in a statement.

The chamber received an “outpouring of support” for the festival after its cancellation announcement, Liszak said.

For more information, call the chamber at 239-454-7500 or email events@fmbchamber.com. For entertainer and vendor questions, contact Belinda Hadcock at admiralbelinda@gmail.com.