From the dread Blackbeard, Edward Teach, who frightened his enemies by embedding fire in his thick locks; to William Kidd, the former pirate hunter who turned rogue; to Woodes Rogers, who gave up piracy to became a royal governor who tracked down pirates — all are on their way to Vallejo.

The eighth Northern California Pirate Festival Saturday and Sunday at Vallejo Waterfront Park will feature not only these, but many more — including Grace O’Malley of Ireland, who inherited and ran her father’s maritime (some say piratical) trade.

Visitors also will see another notable woman pirate, Anne Bonney, who became a colleague and shipmate of “Calico” Jack Rackham, who also will be at the event — as will Captain Jack Rackham, who became known for his colorful clothing; Henry Morgan, who raided Spanish settlements in the Caribbean to become one of the most successful pirates; and the “gentleman pirate,” Stede Bonnett.

Children can collect the “marks” of these pirates — signatures on their “wanted” posters — and hear their stories during “meet and greets” throughout the two-day festival, said Anna Benincasa, one of its founders.

This is the “Year of the Pirate” at the festival, “and if all goes well this year, we’ll continue having historical pirates,” Benincasa said.

The event has plenty for the younger set to do, from sliding down a gigantic kraken to hearing and helping entertainers sing and tell stories, participating in costume contests and joining their parents in shanty songs or watching the return of Captain Jack Spareribs, his sarcastic puppet monkey and his own skills in illusion and hazardous juggling.

The festival also caters to adults, especially with the return of the Buccaneer Bash, a virtual trip to Tortuga where singers, such as the Dread Crew of Oddwood, bring out their saltier lyrics and the Burlesque of the Barbary Coast gives a (tastefully) risque performance that harkens to the old days of burlesque.

Unlike last year, when organizers thought they’d need more time to transition from the daytime family entertainment to the 18-and-older-crowd attending the Bash, entertainment will start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Benincasa said.

“Last year, we dipped our toe in the water,” she said. This year, organizers were able to add more acts to the later venue.

Also new to this year’s festival is the Nehemiah, a 57-foot wooden ketch that usually provides charter and public sails as well as youth programs.

For the festival, however, Captain Rod Phillips has turned his vessel into a British Navy ship with a crew bent on ridding the Vallejo waterfront of the scoundrels and sea rogues they’ve spotted partying along the shoreline.

The Nehemiah is slightly smaller than the red-sailed Aldebaran, which ran aground last July, has been sold to new owners and remains under repairs.

The loss of the Aldebaran to the festival sent Benincasa and other organizers on a search up and down the West Coast; they found the Nehemiah, based in Marina Bay, among the charter listings. Those who want to sail aboard the rakish ship that’s sailed the South Seas and circumnavigated the globe may learn more at its website, www.sailingacross.com.

Pirate have become the subject of two television series, “Crossbones” on NBC and “Black Sails” on STARZ.

“Crossbones,” starring John Malkovich, tells stories of Blackbeard, suggesting his reported death might not be accurate, while “Black Sails” describes the adventures of John Silver before he became a character in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel “Treasure Island.”

That’s kept sea raiders in the public eye, and in subsequent festivals Benincasa said she wouldn’t be surprised to see attendees inspired by these new interpretations.

“I’m often surprised how many people show up in costume,” she said, “even if it’s just a bandana.”

She and her colleagues, singers and actors who entertain as the Seadogs and Paddy West School of Seamanship, perform at festivals and Renaissance fairs, but she rarely sees more enthusiasm for dressing in theme attire than at the pirate festival. “It feels like people want to be part of it. I don’t take it for granted.”

For a brief moment, the festival had the largest “gathering of the brethren” of pirates, beating the existing Guinness world record, but the title slipped away before they could get the number validated and registered because they didn’t have officials onsite, Benincasa said. She has seen the event that had registrars present to get the tallies registered faster, and watched as each “pirate” was counted.

If the Northern California Pirate Festival never tries again at the record, Benincasa is content. “We have the best-dressed pirate crew ever!” she said.

The Northern California Pirate Festival is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Vallejo Waterfront Park, 298 Mare Island Way, Vallejo, with the separate Buccaneer Bash starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Daily admission is $10 for those 12 and older, and $15 for the Bash, open to those 18 and older. Tickets are available at the gate and through the festival website, http://www.norcalpiratefestival.com.