5 Things to Know Before You Go: Gasparilla

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It’s parade season! But this time I’m not talking about Mardi Gras. Each January, the city of Tampa, FL is invaded by parades of pirates. The event, called Gasparilla, is composed of parties, parades, boats, beads, costumes, and even a run. And just like how in Mardi Gras the New Orleans mayor hands the city’s keys over to Rex, the mayor of Tampa surrenders the city’s keys to the Captain of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (YMKG). The invasion that ensues afterwards is the third largest parade in the world, and it’s one you won’t want to miss!

I had so much fun experiencing the festivities in 2018 and 2019. Here’s 5 things you should know before you go!

1. It’s an all-day event

From 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM, the Jose Gasparilla pirate ship and a fleet of hundreds of other vessels sail in towards the Convention Center. Then from 2:00 to 6:00 PM, the krewe parades Bayshore Boulevard, tossing out beads and doubloons. Those are the two main free attractions, but there are other events including an official Gasparilla Invasion Brunch that you can buy tickets for.

If you want to see the vessel invasion, key handoff, and parade, plan ahead. Take a look at the parade route and parking situation a few days before. You may only be able to see one or two components depending on where you decide to go.

2. What to wear

Like Halloween, nothing is off-limits for Gasparilla. You’ll see pirate costumes, corsets, and fishnets. Wear whatever floats your boat, but keep in mind that it is January and you’ll be outside all day. Luckily Tampa doesn’t get thaaat cold, but I would still bring layers.

3. Pack a cooler

This was a big mistake I made the first time around. Since you’ll be there for several hours, you’ll want some snacks and drinks. There are some food and drink vendors on the streets, but they’ll have long lines, and if you want anything other than beer or over-priced water bottles, it’s best to pack your own. We even tried Publix one year, but it was already raided by the time we arrived.

Extra tip: Don’t forget the hand sanitizer for the porta potties.

4. Prepare for traffic and road closures

As with any parade, expect tons of traffic and some road closures. Budget at least an hour of extra time to get there if you’re going into the city any time after the invasion begins. Take a look at parking options ahead of time if you have a designated driver, or look for discount codes for ride-share apps to save some money when prices surge. In past years, Lyft has partnered with Captain Morgan to offer a discount code to make sure everyone got home safe. Past codes have been LIKEACAPTAIN and CAPTAINMORGAN20.

This article provides a great breakdown of road closures for the 2022 parade: https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2022/01/12/gasparilla-2022–what-you-need-to-know

5. Stake out your spot

Decide which part of Gasparilla you’re most excited to see and make sure you get there early to stake out your spot. With around 300,000 people in attendance each year, the parade route fills up fast.

If you’re excited to see the pirate ship come in, find a spot on Davis Island. If you happen to be in the Coast Guard, the Sector Prevention Office has one of the best views. They usually have a morale event that day, and provide food, beer, and wine. It’s one of the few kid-friendly events of the day.

Photo taken from Coast Guard Prevention Office on Davis Island

If you’re more excited for the landlubber parade, think about if you want to be at the beginning, middle, or end of the route. The beginning is good because you won’t be waiting around as long for the parade to start, but the throwers might be stingy with the beads to make sure they have enough for the whole route. The end is good because the throwers will be trying to get rid of whatever they have left unless they’ve already run out, and you’ll be there for hours waiting for the parade to even get to you. I recommend finding somewhere in the middle of the route and trying to get as close to the street as you can. Also keep in mind where the nearest porta potties and food tents are.

This was the route in 2019, and I don’t think they change it much year to year.

Sustainability Tip

As I’m sure you can imagine, there’s a lot of mess that comes out of Gasparilla. When the festivities end, people don’t know what to do with all the beads they’ve collected, so they just ditch them on the ground, leaving the problem to someone else. All that litter can have damaging environmental impacts. If you’re interested in being part of the solution, think of ways to recycle your beads or join cleanup teams the morning after.

I used some of my beads for a craft. All you need is a canvas, your beads, scissors, and a hot glue gun for this one.

You can find more info about post-Gasparilla cleanup efforts here:

More About Gasparilla

Official Site: https://main.gasparillapiratefest.com/invasion
History: https://ymkg.com/the-history-of-gasparilla/
Tickets: https://gasparillatreasures.com/product-category/tickets/

Gasparilla 2022 Info

P.S.

The Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic is almost a month after the big Gasparilla parade which means you still have time to train! You can choose between a 15K, 5K, half marathon, or 8K. I did the 15K, and it was the first distance race I’d ever done! It was so fun and very well-organized! Running along Bayshore Blvd. was beautiful (and flat). Plus having Publix as a sponsor meant great snacks at the finish line! 10/10 would recommend! More info here: https://rungasparilla.com

If you’re looking for places besides Bayshore Blvd. to train for the run, check out this post: My Favorite Places to Run in St Petersburg, FL

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Cheers!

Sarah