North Captiva’s Swashbuckler’s Ball to be held Saturday
The barrier islands off the coast of Lee County, have for centuries, embraced pirate folklore.
Legend, some say myth, of pirate Jose Gaspar (Gasparilla), say he used the island of North Captiva from the late 1700’s to the early 1820’s, capturing wealth from passing ships. The legend also states he kept female captives of nobility, or great beauty, on the island – giving Captiva Island and North Captiva Island their name from the Spanish word cautiva (captive).
Folklore claims Gaspar’s lost treasure remains hidden around the barrier islands of Charlotte Harbor.
Some historians believe the exploits of Gaspar are nothing more than myth. They note the name Captive appears on maps earlier than the popular pirate tales, a map from 1775 listed “Boco Captiva” near Captiva Pass. However, the colorful stories of Gaspar were heavily promoted in the early 1900’s through tourism and railroad campaigns.
To the locals of North Captiva, the pirate legend of Gaspar continues.
As part of “Homeowners Week” The Island Club, at North Captiva, will host its second annual “Swashbuckler’s Ball” Saturday, Oct. 24 beginning at 5 p.m. to celebrate the island’s history.
The event was the brainchild of Island Club CEO Matt Wykes. It comes at a time when many homeowners have returned to the island and begin hosting parties of their own to celebrate their pirate heritage along with homecoming.
Wykes decided to fuse homecoming with the island’s pirate history and created the “Swashbuckler’s Ball.”
“When we first bought the Inn we understood they had a homeowner’s gathering, a celebration, of the inception of North Captiva as an island,” said Wykes. “A few years ago some of the homeowners came to me and asked if I’d like to host a party for locals. I of course said yes as we always try to help our community. So we tried a few names and I came up with Swashbuckler’s Ball. It just seemed to work with the theme, North Captive, the pirate stories. Just everything about it seemed right.”
The event will feature a Caribbean-inspired dinner buffet from Executive Chef James Pampinella, live music featuring local band Boomtown Jukebox and a DJ, a costume contest and specialty drink offerings.
Nikki Canale, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Island Club, said the plan is to make the event bigger and better than last year.
“We are expecting about 100-120 people compared to 85 last year,” said Canale. “It gives us a chance to celebrate the rich history of pirates and exploration and Florida. So as part of Homeowner’s Week it gives everyone kind of a central place to come, hang out. So luckily last year was a huge hit so we’re doing it again, the first of many we expect.”
The Ball is in many ways a testament to Wykes and his team following the devastation of Hurricane Ian. Many of the buildings of the Inn were heavily damaged and needed repair. Work is now completed on new additions such as Coconuts Tiki Bar, Anchor’s landing Steakhouse and Seafood, a new welcome center and trading company shops.
Future plans include pickleball courts, luxury private cabanas, a commercial-grade kitchen, and a space for Island Club events, private gatherings and live music.
“Getting into business with a business plan and you realize business isn’t done on paper, but how you adapt,” said Wykes. “We just happened to experience one of the largest hurricanes to come through here. It was a humbling experience, but we learned a lot and we have a lot of growth not just on the building side but capacity as well.”
Wykes said part of that growth is preparing for the next storm before it arrives.
“We know there’s going to be a next storm, as a team we realize how things have to be run to prepare for the next storm. We just want to have the ability to withstand that,” said Wykes.
Canale expects many to drive their own boats to the ball but the Inn will also provide round trip ferry transport, which is included in the ticket price. She added that people can come out anytime, ferry transport begins at 10:30 a.m., the festivities start at 5, with the last ferry departing at midnight.
Wykes said the ball is a great way to bring the community together to celebrate the island’s heritage and have fun doing it.
“To come out on a boat, have a good time, dress up like a pirate, it’s a family event and we’re excited about it,” he said.
For ticket information, https://erg.t-g.cc/p/c41O
To reach ED ZUMAR, please email news@breezenewspapers.com