Pirates taking over Whitefish for carnival

Capt. Jack Sparrow of “Pirates of the Caribbean” fame will be the grand marshal at the Whitefish Winter Carnival parade on Saturday, but spectators will have to see for themselves if the man behind the eye patch is movie star Johnny Depp or his stunt-double.

The annual carnival blasts into its final round of festivities this weekend, and the excitement is building as Whitefish celebrates “Pirates on Parade,” said Paul Johannsen, one of the carnival organizers.

Past carnival prime ministers have been out gathering items for a silent auction at The Gala on Friday night, and merchants really stepped up their game this year, Johannsen said.

The pirate theme will play out in the resort town in many ways. Casey’s, a popular downtown bar and night club, has installed a ship mast on the roof and a couple of cannons for the carnival’s grand finale weekend.

v For a complete schedule of events, check out This Week in the Flathead in today’s Inter Lake.