The fifth-annual event features an array of activities for kids and adults, including:

Friday Oct. 9, South Beach Parking Lot

-  A Thieves Market from 5-11 p.m. Lots of trinkets, loot and other pirate treasures to buy.

- Fireworks  starting at 7:30 p.m

- Local bands

-  Little Matey’s Cove activities for kids, including a magic show, balloon making and more.

Saturday, Oct. 10, South Beach Parking Lot

- Thieves Market from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

- Bunch of kids activities, including face painting a puppet show, petting zoo and more.

- More Bands

But what we’ve always found truly enjoyable is the Pirate’s Victory Parade (scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday on Bulter). If you ever wanted to vicariously experience the thrill of being a pirate welcomed home by adoring fans, than this is the parade to attend.

Just grab your sword, and watch area residents donning pirate garb (or even their cut-off shorts) drive down Butler in Pirate Boat floats that range from ramshackle to reasonably clever.

It’s campy. It’s short (lasting about a half hour). And it’s a bit of a cliche. But it’s a wonderful family activity,  and only 20 minutes by car from your downtown Savannah vacation rental.

For more information, visit Tybee Island Pirate Fest.

The Sugar Shack at Tybee Island

If you plan on vacationing in Savannah this summer, make sure you visit Tybee Island, about 20 minutes by car from the downtown Historic District.

It’s a wonderful beach, and a great day trip.

Unlike its neighbors to the North And South, Tybee Island isn’t over-commercialized. It’s also free, and open to the public. There are a few paid parking lots, as well as street parking. But make sure you bring plenty of quarters, because the meter maids are vigilant.

After spending a day at the beach, we recommend that you treat your kids to the “The Sugar Shack”, a Tybee ice cream parlor that opened in 1960.  (Although it looks like some of the furnishings still date from that period, the ice cream is very good).

Bruce Grosse owns the place with his parents.  He and his brothers started out selling boiled peanuts (a Savannah delicacy) up and down the beach.  They saved up $2,000 and ended up buying “The Sugar Shack” at a silent auction.

You can’t miss the place.  It’s on the left just before you go around a big curve on Butler Avenue.

And by the way, we were raised on the Sugar Shack, and our kids are getting their fair share of soft serve ice cream and banana splits, too.