Pillage and plunder your way through downtown Hampton on June 1-3 when the 13th annual Hampton Blackbeard Pirate Festival returns for another year of swashbuckling excitement!  Celebrate Hampton's rich maritime heritage by commemorating the demise of our most infamous visitor, Captain Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard the Pirate. During the later part of the 1600's and early 1700's, pirates roamed the coastal waters of Virginia and  North Carolina in search of ships laden with tobacco and other goods.  The marauders terrorized waterways and unsuspecting cargo ships, capturing goods, sailors and ships. Captain Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard the Pirate, was the most daunting of these menacing outlaws.

 After years of wreaking havoc on Virginia's  shores and economy, Blackbeard's life was finally  taken in a violent sea battle with Lieutenant  Robert Maynard in 1718. His severed head was  impaled upon a pole near the mouth of Hampton Creek,  now known as Blackbeard's Point, to serve as an  unyielding reminder that piracy would  not be tolerated in Virginia. Beginning June 1, roughly 50,000 seafaring attendees, as well as Blackbeard and his crew, will once again  invade downtown Hampton during the  13th annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival! Interact with Blackbeard (personified by first-person  interpreter Ben Cherry) and more than 100 other  authentically costumed pirate re-enactors as they  run rampant on the streets of America's oldest continuous English-speaking settlement.The festivities kick off Friday night, June 1, 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. at the Oyster Alley restaurant on the back of the Crowne Plaza Hampton  Marina Hotel with the 13th annual Grand Pirates Ball  (creative black tie or period attire strictly enforced!).  The celebration, a recreation of Blackbeard's Party at Okracoke,  will feature Caribbean food, adult beverages, music by The Brigands, and more. Though the festival is free, there is an admission charge for the ball. Advance tickets can be purchased in the coming months at www.blackbeardfestival.com.

Who We Are, Past and Present

Continuing through July 8, 2012

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These days, it seems that everyone is stressed. We all have too much to do and too little time to do it. Times are tough, money is tight, and deadlines are imminent.

What happens when you're stressed? You tend to eat more, sleep less, skip the gym and feel rundown. Additionally, stress is linked to a number of illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and an increased risk for cancer.

Julep's 9th Anniversary event featuring Chef Malcolm from Food Network Star is fewer than 3 weeks away.

We are excited for the menu that is being developed. Highlights include pan-seared duck breast served over Carolina gold rice porridge for the third course and a chocolate peanut butter bar with an oat crust finished with buttermilk caramel and honeycomb candy for dessert.

18 Holes of Golf at Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg, VA Starting at $15 (a $30 value)

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