Ahoy Gasparilla Pirates!
It is that time of year where Gasparilla is upon us! This is the holiday that everyone in Tampa prepares all month for. I’ve seen a ton of tourist give advice for how to survive the Gasparilla Day Parade, but where are the Tampa Blogs!? I have lived in Tampa my whole life. I’ve watched the parade on Bayshore and I’ve been in it – two totally different experiences but I’m here to give you all the information you’ll need to survive Gasparilla 2020.
Know What You’re Getting Into
Gasparilla is the LARGEST pirate festival. One of the BIGGEST parades in the world. People from all over the world want to come to this parade to dress up like pirates, drink Captain Morgan and Bud Light while yelling at drunken pirates for plastic beads. It’s awesome.
Why Do We Celebrate?
We celebrate Gasparilla honestly, because it’s an excuse for a party. For 3 months Tampa Bay will host Gasparilla music festivals, runs, more 3 different types of parades and a ton more. Tampa takes this event very seriously. The parade you want to make sure you are attending is the 2pm Parade on a Saturday afternoon, not the Children’s parade – there is no alcohol allowed at that event.
Bay To Bay
Bay To Bay is the starting point of the parade. All parade floats line up along side of Bayshore heading all the way down towards Gandy Blvd. You are going to want to start by Bay To Bay if you want the least amount of crowds.
Do Not Park Anywhere
Do NOT park. Just don’t! You can use Uber or Lyft to get you as close to the parade route as possible. My recommendation is having your Uber or Lyft driver dropping you off on a major road such as Macdill or Howard. This will allow for you to have an easier way to send your ride to the right place. You are not going to get anywhere near the parade route by car. You will have to walk! So bring your walking shoes!
Dress Up
If you don’t dress up, your not going to have as much fun as the pirate crew next you to. Even if you have a red striped or black striped shirt – something cream or flowy – you’re instantly a pirate in Tampa’s eyes. Make sure to wear a bandana or something with leather – more bonus points!
Bring A Back Up Charger
You don’t want to be the pirate that has no battery left to call an uber or a pirate ship. Make sure you have a back up charger fully charged just incase you have been on Instagram and Snapchat all day. This is something I regret not bringing with me last year – I took way to many pictures!
I hope this blog will help you the next time you are getting ready for the Gasparilla parade route! I’ll see you there pirates! Yo Ho Yo Ho – Happy Gasparilla!
Until the next blog,
Cheyenne Lenore
