The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is an annual celebration held in the city of Tampa

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. Held each year in late January and hosted by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla

Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla

Founded in 1904, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, or YMKG, is Tampa, Florida's oldest and most prestigious krewe, or social organization. Each January, YMKG sponsors a festival called the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa re-enacting a pirate invasion of the city...

 and the City of Tampa

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

, it celebrates the apocryphal legend of José Gaspar

Jose Gaspar

José Gaspar, known by his nickname Gasparilla , was a purported Spanish pirate, the "last of the Buccaneers," who is claimed to have raided the west coast of Florida during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Though he is a popular figure in Florida folklore, no evidence of his existence...

 (Gasparilla), supposedly a Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 pirate captain who operated in Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida is a region of Florida , United States located along its gulf coast, south of the Tampa Bay area, west of Lake Okeechobee and mostly north of the Everglades...

. The theme is an "invasion" by Gasparilla and his men, which begins when the "Krewe

Krewe

A krewe is an organization that puts on a parade and or a ball for the Carnival season. The term is best known for its association with New Orleans Mardi Gras, but is also used in other Carnival celebrations around the Gulf of Mexico, such as the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa, Florida, and...

" (made up of residents of the city) arrives on a 165' long pirate ship, the Jose Gaspar, in Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...

 and land near downtown Tampa. The mayor of Tampa then lends the key of the city to the pirate captain and a parade ensues down Bayshore Boulevard, one of Tampa's major streets. The krewes throw beads, coins and other items while shooting blank pistols from floats during the parade. The average attendance for the event is over 400,000 people. The parade is broadcast every year on WFLA-TV

WFLA-TV

WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...

, and has been since 1955. According to the event's official website, 2003's Gasparilla parade effected an economic impact of nearly 23 million dollars to Tampa.

Krewe memberships are highly sought after in many social circles in Tampa, and many celebrate ethnic and cultural themes. The Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the organization which founded and sponsors the parade, is the oldest krewe in Tampa, and among its most prestigious. Members of the many krewes that now participate spend a great deal of money on beads and floats.

A week before the "invasion" and the main parade, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla sponsors a family-oriented children's parade and "Piratechnic Extravaganza," with fireworks launched over Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...

. 2006's fireworks display included an impressive airborne element, where an imaginary sea battle took place between a pirate ship in the harbor and a plane which shot off fireworks while doing acrobatic maneuvers.

A few weeks after the invasion, there is a more adult-oriented Sant'Yago Knight Parade

Sant'Yago Knight Parade

The Sant' Yago Knight Parade, is one of a series of events in the Gasparilla Festival held annually in Tampa, Florida. To recognize the community commitment and financial responsibility of the Krewe of the Knights of Sant´Yago in producing the parade, it is to be referred to as the “Sant´Yago...

 (also known as the Gasparilla Knight Parade) in Ybor City, held in the evening and running into the early morning. Krewes have social events and parties throughout the year for members and hold philanthropic events for favored causes.

History

Gasparilla was first held in May 1904 in Tampa Bay, but the invasion originated on horseback instead of by boat. In years past, a US Navy ship would be attacked by small boats throwing Cuban bread

Cuban bread

Cuban bread is a fairly simple white bread, similar to French bread and Italian bread, but has a slightly different baking method and ingredient list ; it is usually made in long, baguette-like loaves...

 and black bean

Black bean

Black bean can mean:* Black turtle bean, a small black variety of the common bean* Douchi, a kind of fermented soybean* Urad bean, also known as black gram* Castanospermum australe, also known as a blackbean...

 soup. The Navy would respond with fire hoses but would succumb to the Ybor City Navy, and then surrender to the Alcalde

Alcalde

Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...

 of Ybor City. The sailors would be treated to an evening on the town. This was discontinued after the September 11, 2001 attacks

September 11, 2001 attacks

The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...

. However, the invasion itself continues as "Capt. Jose Gaspar" and his crew of "Pirates" "attack" Tampa, surrounded by hundreds of other boaters as they sail the Gasparilla Ship through Tampa Bay, land in Downtown Tampa and "take over the city."

The festival has been known to have numerous college students from nearby Eckerd College

Eckerd College

Eckerd College is a private 4-year coeducational liberal arts college at the southernmost tip of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.- Campus :...

, University of South Florida

University of South Florida

The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...

, University of Tampa

University of Tampa

The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...

, and Florida Gulf Coast University

Florida Gulf Coast University

Florida Gulf Coast University, also known as FGCU, is a coeducational public university located just south of the Southwest Florida International Airport in the South Fort Myers region of unincorporated Lee County, Florida, United States. The university belongs to the 11-campus State University...

, lured for its notorious drinking and Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras

The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...

 style of partying.

Historically, Gasparilla was held on the second Monday of February until 1988, when it was moved to a Saturday festival in February. This change allowed more local communities to take part in the celebration. In 2001, the event was moved to the last Saturday of January to coincide with Super Bowl XXXV

Super Bowl XXXV

Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...

 weekend, because Tampa's Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium

Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...

 was hosting the game that year. Since 2005, the event has been held on the first Saturday of February.

In 1992, the parade added it's first all women's krewe, Ye Loyal Krewe of Grace O'Malley named for the famous pirate queen, Grace O'Malley

Grace O'Malley

Gráinne Ní Mháille , Gráinne O'Malley or Grace O'Malley, was Queen of Umaill, chieftain of the Ó Máille clan and a pirate in 16th century Ireland...

of Ireland.

In 2004 the event celebrated its 100th anniversary. The first ever Gasparilla Pageant, crowning queens and kings of all ages to represent the celebration was produced by local ad girl, Stephanie Sims and Aim Direct Media in 2007. This event crosses over the various Krewes.

Beginning in January 2008, an old tradition which ended in 1964 was revived. "The Gasparilla March Triumphant: The Return to the Sea" gives the event a sense of closure. During this ceremony, the Krewe's pirates return the key to the mayor and board the Jose Gasparilla to return to sea. This tradition was revived as a way to officially end Gasparilla season.

The 2010 Gasparilla celebrations marked a record 400 arrests and misdemeanors related to alcohol and loitering.

External links

• Gasparilla Pirate Festival - Official Site
• Gasaprilla Pageant - Miss Gasparilla Pageant
• Countdown - Countdown to the Launch of the José Gasparilla