Pirates on the Square
• Kick-off event is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 2 on the Square.
• Main Street Monroe is also expanding the popular Concerts on the Square series this year. There will be eight concerts from June through August, including two Friday night performances. Concerts will start at 6:30 p.m. and go until 9 p.m.
• More information for downtown events, including the Concert on the Square line-up, is available online at downtownmonroewisconsin.com
MONROE - It will shiver your timbers, matey.
Main Street Monroe is preparing for its 2012 summer-long event, Pirates on the Square, with the main attraction - a wooden pirate ship - dropping anchor in port at the Green County courthouse and its buccaneers descending on the Square from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 2 when the promotion officially kicks off.
But put no S.S. abbreviation in front of its name; this pirate ship is driven purely by fun.
Derek Carpenter of Home Design Solutions, Inc., Monroe, is both designer and builder of the ship, currently under construction on the southside of the Courthouse lawn.
Carpenter is not building a cheap, amateur prop out of plywood, thanks to the generous donations from area businesses.
"Every stick has been donated" to build the ship, which will measure more than 42 feet from bow to stern, Carpenter said. For some perspective, both the Nina and Pinta in Christopher Columbus' fleet to the New World were about 50 feet long.
The landlubber ship will get a 16-foot high sail mast, with its sails tied down, and a spacious deck of 500 to 600 square feet.
"When it comes to (donating) stuff for events in town, people are really great," he said.
The ship's frame work, its "hull," is made of white oak, and the planking and deck will be crafted in oak and trimmed in cherry and walnut woods. Ship keels and frames are traditionally made of hardwoods, like oak. Planking is often made from oak or from softwood, such as pine or cedar.
The captain's quarters under the helm will have real glass in its window. The adjoining deck, strong enough to carry a small crew, will most likely be used as a stage for presentations or scheduled events.
The ship building has been "slow but sure," waylaid first by the tuck-pointing on the exterior of the Courthouse, and then by the weather, said Tracy Hamilton, co-chair of the Promotion and Events Committee for Main Street Monroe.
Still, Carpenter expects to have the ship built well before the projected goal date of May 25, in time for gangplanks to open for the June 2 event.
"The kick-off is aimed at the families. Lots for the kids to do," Hamilton said.
During the kick-off event, members of the high school cast of "Peter Pan" will roam the Square, where life-sized woomden carvings of pirates, created by wood-carving artist Zoli Akacsos who created the animals for last year's Zoo on the Square theme, will be scouting the crowd for lost pieces of gold. The kickoff event also offers henna tattoos, face painting, a farmer's market, music, crafts and other surprises, organizers say.
Pirates on the Square's featured carvings and other activities planned for the summer, such as treasure hunts for kids and geocaching for families, hoist anchor in September.
Carpenter hopes to build a few other amenities for Monore's visiting buccaneers: Lookout baskets and a long boat. But he's looking for some heavy rope and other materials. Contact him about donating to the pirates, before they come looking for you, at (608) 778-9212.
Main Street Monroe is preparing for its 2012 summer-long event, Pirates on the Square, with the main attraction - a wooden pirate ship - dropping anchor in port at the Green County courthouse and its buccaneers descending on the Square from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 2 when the promotion officially kicks off.
But put no S.S. abbreviation in front of its name; this pirate ship is driven purely by fun.
Derek Carpenter of Home Design Solutions, Inc., Monroe, is both designer and builder of the ship, currently under construction on the southside of the Courthouse lawn.
Carpenter is not building a cheap, amateur prop out of plywood, thanks to the generous donations from area businesses.
"Every stick has been donated" to build the ship, which will measure more than 42 feet from bow to stern, Carpenter said. For some perspective, both the Nina and Pinta in Christopher Columbus' fleet to the New World were about 50 feet long.
The landlubber ship will get a 16-foot high sail mast, with its sails tied down, and a spacious deck of 500 to 600 square feet.
"When it comes to (donating) stuff for events in town, people are really great," he said.
The ship's frame work, its "hull," is made of white oak, and the planking and deck will be crafted in oak and trimmed in cherry and walnut woods. Ship keels and frames are traditionally made of hardwoods, like oak. Planking is often made from oak or from softwood, such as pine or cedar.
The captain's quarters under the helm will have real glass in its window. The adjoining deck, strong enough to carry a small crew, will most likely be used as a stage for presentations or scheduled events.
The ship building has been "slow but sure," waylaid first by the tuck-pointing on the exterior of the Courthouse, and then by the weather, said Tracy Hamilton, co-chair of the Promotion and Events Committee for Main Street Monroe.
Still, Carpenter expects to have the ship built well before the projected goal date of May 25, in time for gangplanks to open for the June 2 event.
"The kick-off is aimed at the families. Lots for the kids to do," Hamilton said.
During the kick-off event, members of the high school cast of "Peter Pan" will roam the Square, where life-sized woomden carvings of pirates, created by wood-carving artist Zoli Akacsos who created the animals for last year's Zoo on the Square theme, will be scouting the crowd for lost pieces of gold. The kickoff event also offers henna tattoos, face painting, a farmer's market, music, crafts and other surprises, organizers say.
Pirates on the Square's featured carvings and other activities planned for the summer, such as treasure hunts for kids and geocaching for families, hoist anchor in September.
Carpenter hopes to build a few other amenities for Monore's visiting buccaneers: Lookout baskets and a long boat. But he's looking for some heavy rope and other materials. Contact him about donating to the pirates, before they come looking for you, at (608) 778-9212.