BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Boynton Beach's Pirate Fest wrapped up on Sunday with what the city said was the biggest turnout in the history of the event.
"Oh, it was awesome, super fun, a lot of activities for the kids," said Cristina Damas, who attended the event with her husband, Stan, and their two children.
Pirate Fest was canceled in 2022 and limited during the pandemic.
This year's recent fatal shootings in Maine and Florida had some attendees concerned about safety.
"Coming to a public event, was there any concern about safety for you?" asked WPTV reporter Joel Lopez.
"Yes, absolutely," said Cristina Damas.
Their children are 6 and 4 years old.
"There was a lot of police officers, a lot of security, so that was always nice," said Cristina Damas.
Pirate Fest has a strict no-weapons policy, but props like swords were allowed as long as they were zip-tied to the costume or sheathed.
"We did very good with the police chief and also the fire chief to making sure we had the proper personnel ready to go for this event," said Boynton Beach Commissioner Thomas Turkin.
Turkin said the Boynton Beach Police Department is the most staffed it's been in 20 years. He said the large presence also helps build better trust between law enforcement and the community.
"Is that presence important for parents like yourself?" asked Lopez.
"Yes, absolutely, yes. In this day in age, definitely," answered Stan.
City officials said attendance was in the thousands and confirmed that Pirate Fest will be coming back in 2024 "bigger and better."
"We are going to do whatever it takes to keep families and children safe, regardless of the event," said Turkin.
