Gasparilla Pirate Festival – Tampa Tradition

When I first went to the Gasparilla Festival, I was truly living in amazement. All I could think of was Mardi Gras. I honestly never went to Mardi Gras, but parades, beads, fun, happiness is what I pictured, and there I was.  Gasparilla was filled with endless music, parties, parades, and beads, lots of beads. Celebration, glee, happiness all over the place, fun for all ages. There were people everywhere whether they were on the street, cheering the parade floats on, or they were on their boats, having a grand ball of a time. This was Gasparilla for me. 

I then looked up what truly was Gasparilla and what it meant. This festival was named after Jose Gaspar, a notorious pirate in the 1800′s and 1900′s. He had a rough, blood thirsty soul to him, and it was reported he burned 36 ships during his first 12 years as a pirate. In 1904, Miss Louisa Frances Dodge planned the first Gasparilla Festival. This was a festival that included a mock invasion of a pirate ship. Since then, Gasparilla has been a Tampa tradition.

You will be able to witness this invasion of the pirate ships, as well as a big parade for children, fireworks,  and adults, and many other events through out the last week of January.

For more details about Jose Gaspar, and the history of Gasparilla Pirate Festival, click here.

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