Gasparilla Pirate Fest is Tampa Bay's unique historic pirate themed festival which features the Gasparilla Invasion Flotilla, Parade of the Pirates, and Street Festival. Gasparilla, Florida's 108 year old version of Mardi Gras, plays center stage for the weekend.
The legendary pirate, Jose Gaspar, and his band of marauding buccaneers reenact the historic pirate invasion which began in 1904. The Captain of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla and his band of marauding buccaneers, having captured the City of Tampa, share their wealth of beads, treasures and doubloons with the enthusiastic crowd of over 500,000 along the 3.8 mile parade route stretching from Bayshore Boulevard to Downtown Tampa. This uniquely Tampa parade consists of over 130 units, including over 90 colorful floats, 14 marching bands, 50 participating Krewes.
HOW & WHEN SHOULD I GET THERE?
The pirate ship invasion starts at 11:30am but we recommend attending the Parade which starts at 2:00pm and lasts through 5:30pm. For visitors staying in Ybor City, the public streetcar system will be available throughout the entire event. There is only one line and catching any streetcar in Ybor will take you to Dick Greco Plaza in Downtown Tampa. From there, it is easy to get to the parade by foot.
We do not recommend driving to the event as parking is a challenging find. Note that once the parade starts the roads in downtown are closed and it is not possible to return to the streetcar plaza. The streets will reopen shortly after the parade ends at 5:30pm.
CAN I PURCHASE ALCOHOL AT THE FESTIVAL?
Beer along with Captain Morgan Rum and cola is for sale and can be purchased at one of several Gasparilla Charity Beer Gardens located throughout the event. You must be 21+ and you must present a valid photo ID. 100% of the net revenue supports local Tampa Bay area charities, and the event is proud to have contributed over $100,000 to these charities over the past five years.
ARE THERE GAY EVENTS AT THE PARADE?
There are no exclusively gay events, however Urban Body Clothing located at 715 S. Howard Avenue will serve as the Gancho Tampa Gasparilla Parade home base. The party begins bright and early at 9:00 am complete with DJ's, complimentary specialty drinks, unique food and more. The party is just a 10 minute walk from the best parade viewing spot located at South Howard Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard. ALandCHUCK.travel will be providing a FREE shuttle bus service between Centro Ybor (9th Ave and 16th St) in Ybor City, Urban Body and the Parade every 30 minutes from 10 am to 6:30 pm.