To celebrate Tampa’s thriving community and history, people come together to commemorate Florida’s history. The theme of the parade is inspired by the pirate José Gaspar, who operated off the west coast of Florida from the 1780s through the 1820s. Thousands of people, young and old, come out to enjoy the plethora of festivities that Gasparilla has to offer.
Every year hundreds of floats go down Bayshore Blvd in a fully decorated manner. The parade has taken place for the past 120 years and for many more to follow. The city presents a performance from a local school marching band, Ye Mystic Krewe, creating a special and unique experience to share with the community!
All the costumes, decorations, and fun personalities were incredibly enchanting. In an interview Freshman Mia Vargas said, “I think my favorite part of the event was the costumes, floats and how decorated everyone was.” People had a marvelous time and are excited for the next Gasparilla.
The festivities started on January 20th, 2024, with the children’s parade taking place first. The parade was sponsored by Chick-fil-A which for kids has their favorite, chicken nuggets.
Though the kids weren’t the only ones having a fun time. On Saturday January 27th, 2024, the adults had their chance to live it up, partying at the adult only parade celebrating with drinks and beads.
Whether you are on a float or in the crowd you are destined to have a blast! This year’s parade was a total hit. “I loved how they made sure to include all age ranges.” Freshman Kevin Reyes said.
Many people have said that it is an overwhelming experience from the Florida sun to the amount of people at the event. In the end, it ended up being an enjoyable experience for everyone who went.
The parade lasted all day with an awesome finale of fireworks! “Oh yeah, I stayed for the fireworks. They were pretty,” Vargas added.
