‘Argh’ you ready to celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day?

Shiver me timbers. Sept. 19 marks International Talk Like A Pirate Day, and Alaska has a storied pirate history.

A young scallywag once commandeered the governor’s mansion attic for a pirate radio station and bootleg brewery. Sailors ransacked a shipwrecked vessel with gold rush treasures. Chinese fish pirates made away with Alaska salmon. Alaska treasure hunters still scour the backcountry for hidden booty.

Ketchikan hosts annual performances of “The Fish Pirate’s Daughter.” And, avast ye, Anchorage wenches and mateys can shout “yo-ho, yo-ho” in search of a bottle of rum at the upcoming Pirate Pub Crawl Sept. 15.

– Megan O’Malley, The Alaska 100