What to Know”Vampirates”Pirates Dinner AdventureBuena ParkSept. 20 through Nov. 8, 2026The dinner theater setting includes a three-course meal, a show, and occasional audience interaction

The tall ships sailed through Dana Point Harbor earlier in September, a sign that a certain quirky holiday is on the horizon.

It’s “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” which is honored on and around Sept. 19 each year.

Or should we say “arrrr-round,” given the pirate-y patter that people enthusiastically engage in when the occasion returns.

You don’t really need to keep track of this offbeat observance, however, and when it will again drop anchor in our worlds, not if you know that a certain band of “Vampirates” return to Buena Park right around the third week of September each year.

These dastardly figures of the deep hauntingly helm the Pirates Dinner Adventure show each fall, bringing a bit of spooky swashbuckling to the show-and-a-meal venue.

And return, those devious “Vampirates” shall, just hours after “Talk Like a Pirate Day” concludes.

If you’re not one of the “Vampirates” or the dramatic on-stage heroes battling their nefarious plans, you’re likely an audience member tucking into a meal. Still, you’ll have a rollicking role to play, cheering on various factions and making your allegiances known.

There’s also a three-course meal, and a “pirate village” just outside the capacious theater, with pirate-inspired items for sale and a sea-inspired spot for photos. There’s a lobby bar, too, and a few beverages boasting aquatic flair are on the menu.

Deciding on your ticket level — there’s a VIP option — and when you and your crew will set sail for Buena Park is your next step.

Dressing like a seafarer, a vampire, or a curious and creative combo before making for the pirate-packed production? That’s up to you.

It’s one of the big family shows on the autumn calendar in Orange County, a boisterous get-the-crowd-involved extravaganza with a host of stage stunts, snappy one-liners, and, yes, a light scare or two, courtesy of those vamping Vampirates.