Photo by Jen Edney
Special to The Star

Sarah Bahr gives her brother Alex Bahr a sound thrashing during a mock battle Sunday at Lake Casitas.

Photo by Jen Edney
Special to The Star

From left, brothers Nick, Tony and Mike Montemarano of the band Mursic practice Sunday.

Madison Davis, 7, walked through a maze of pirates on a hill near Lake Casitas on Sunday afternoon. She wore a pale blue bodice, inherited from her mother, and a shiny, chain belt hung over her dark, velvety skirt.

The Simi Valley second-grader still had a few hours before she expected an audience with the Pirate Queen, but as she made her way through the stalls, which were selling wares from princess crowns to medallions, she already had her curtsey perfected.

18th year for Pirate's Faire

She was one of scores of people roaming around a 16th-century pirate village Sunday, set up by entertainers and re-enactors, for the 18th annual Pirate's Faire at the Lake Casitas Recreation Area this weekend.

A few thousand people were expected to attend the event put on by Gold Coast Festivals where visitors could catch a pirate snoozing on a bench, listen in on the queen chastising her court or overhear the phrases "Her majesty's in rare form today," and "Keep ye off."

'We are living history'

And while some might think the festival is an excuse to drink and party like pirates, Eric Hill of Yucaipa said it's much more than that. A sword at his hip and a hat on his head, Hill explained how participants research history books to accurately portray 16th-century life.

"We are living history," said Hill, the captain and founder of the Guild of the Strong Heart — one of several guilds that had set up camp at the festival this weekend.

"I think it's interesting. I've learned different things about this time," said Madison, walking around with her mother. "I'm excited to meet the queen."

One of the newest guild members at the festival, Sarah Bahr, 20, of Port Hueneme said she just started participating this year. A student in normal life, Bahr serves as the barber of the Strong Heart guild and said she's still getting used to the pirate lingo.

But she likes the people she meets, and most of all, she said, "I love role playing."

She stood with other members of the guild, wearing period costumes under a cream-colored tent and sometimes talking with a pirate's drawl.

"We are really a bunch of geeks who like to dress up, play games ... and like history," said Robert Nava, 25, of Oxnard, also a member of Hill's crew. It was at a pirate's festival four years ago when Nava proposed to his now-wife, Sarah Flickinger-Nava, 28.

This year, the couple celebrated Mother's Day at the festival with their 2-month-old baby, Benjamin.

The couple plans to carry on the tradition with Benjamin, bringing him to events for fun, to give him a break from everyday life and, his mother said, "to teach him to appreciate history."