Pirates at Paynetown - Paynetown, IN - Coverstory of the Event

Here is how the Pirates at Paynetown event went - A special thanks to Jennifer and Nathan who made this event all possible and the IN DNR for the site!

Pirates of Paynetown By Jim Cummings

I will be the first to admit that I was very wrong in my conception of
``Pirates of Paynetown" a re-enactment held at Lake Monroe in
Bloomington, Indiana.

What I thought was going to be a ``Pirates of the Caribbean Spoof"
with a bunch of Johnny Depp look-alikes was not. I was dead wrong.

The Pirates of Paynetown was put on by and held at Lake Monroe State
Park. It was the second year for the event and our first time there.
But it won't be the last. This Stae Park is one of Indiana's crown jewels.

It has 14,000 acres and most of it is covered in water. If you haven't
been there it is worth putting on your ``things to do list".

Pirates of Paynetown was a serious re-eanctment of the days when
Pirates roamed the Atlantic Coast and the Carribean and even ventured
into some inland water ways through the great lakes.

Now I'm not saying there wasn't a lot of fun going on - there was. Any
time you get a bunch of re-enactors together there will be fun. But
add in the relaxed atmosphere of this event, with sword fights and
pirates skirmishes, lots of cannon fire and boats on the water and you
have a crowd pleaser. And to my amazement I knew almost 95% of the
re-enactors there or had read about or seen the other 5%. There was a
mix of Revolutionary War, French and Indian War, and even a few Civil
War crossovers who had all modified their look and became ``pirates
for a weekend."

About the only Johnny Depp look alikes were visitors of the 5 year old
variety.

Pirates were a real fact of liffe in this hemisphere and in the
continuing quest to bring history alive this is a very viable event -
one that I hope the DNR of Indiana will continue.

One of the groups that came to Paynetown was The Crewe of the
Archangel. This diverse group of re-enactors comes together from
various locations in the US and does other time periods as well as
pirates.

Every one had a great time as the photos can attest. Spectators in
pleasure craft on the water as well as swimmers in the nearby swimming
area stopped what they were doing as the battle began.

There was even a hanging - something I've not seen before at an event.

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(DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!)

Put on by The Archangel Crewe, it was done with a body harness and a bit of theatrical know how. While every safety precaution was taken - it was a very realistic look at the
punishment for crimes in the 17th and 18th centuries in this country.
It was a great addition to the weekend and brought gasps from the
crowd. Afterwards everyone was invited for a closer look (children
especially) to see the body harness and hook that made it look so real.

The Pirates of Paynetown was a great event and will no doubt grow each
year. The program was well thought out and the setting was a beautiful
backdrop to the event. It was attended by some of the area's best
known re-enactors and even had 5 former Pioneer Times Re-Enactors of
the Month. In attendance were Kyle and Laura Willyard, Allen Marsee,
Nathan Logsdon and the lastest - Gavin Kelly.

The event organizer was Jennifer Aynes aynesj@gmail.com with
additional help in recruiting re-enactors from Nathan and Andrea
Logsdon.Said Aynes, ``We want to maintain a true living history event,
as realistic as possible in dress and activities. We want everyone to
have fun, but not be taken over by a ``carnival atmosphere" so that we
can still educate the public.

As events come and go by the wayside Pirates of Paynetown fills a
different niche. For a mid summer event the beautiful Monroe Lake
offeres a cool and shady spot for everyone to get out and participate.
There were games for the children and plenty to see for everyone. And
if it gets too hot - there's always the boats and the lake for relief.
So put ``The Pirates of Paynetown" on your schedule for next year.
This one can only get bigger and better each year. The park is easily
accesible, clean and the atmosphere is one guaranteed to draw the public.

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