Get All The Details On The Gasparilla Pirate Fest
The Gasparilla Pirate Fest is happening at the end of the January, so here are all the main details. The invasion and parade is happening on Saturday, January 28th in Tampa. The invasion is where the pirate ship called the Jose Gasparilla, emerges at the south end of Hillsborough Bay followed by hundreds of boats. That happens from 11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Then it is time for the Parade of Pirates, which happens from 2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. The parade begins at Bay to Bay and Bayshore Blvd. It continues along Bayshore Blvd. to Brorein St., turns east on Brorein St., then north on Ashley Dr. The parade ends at Cass St. & Ashley Dr. The parade is completely free to attend. There is reserved bleacher seating available, but that you will need to purchase.
The Gasparilla Pirate Fest will also have two stages with live entertainment pre and post parade in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and MacDill Park.
The Gasparilla Children’s Parade is happening the week before the big parade on Saturday, January 21st. It will be happening from 12 P.M – 7:30 P.M. There will be a daytime and a nighttime air invasion and fireworks happening at the end of the parade.

7 Great Places To Eat Near Amalie Arena
Heading to a Lightning game this season or going to see a show at Amalie Arena? Here are 7 great places to eat that’s near Amalie Arena. All of these locations are within walking distance, but if you don’t feel like walking, hop on the TECO street car or use an electric scooter. Whether you’re in the mood for some bar bites or want to sit down and have a nice dinner, here are our recommendations. Depending on the event, you may want to get to these places a little earlier (around 5p) or make a reservation to secure your spot!
Downtown Tampa is constantly changing. It seems like each week there’s a new trendy restaurant that we must try! Of course, there are the staple Tampa restaurants like Hattricks. There are also many options at Sparkman Wharf, but we narrowed that down to our favorite spot. If all else fails, you can always go to the Publix on Channelside Dr for a pub sub. This Publix location even has a bar and happy hour! Have you been to any of these places yet? Let us know your favorite on social media!
Honorary Mention
It would be silly for us not to include the new Yard House in this list. The new trendy restaurant recently opened directly across the street from Amalie Arena (where the old Ferg’s Live used to be). They have 130 beers on tap and some really tasty appetizers for a pregame snack. But beware, unless you make a reservation or get there before 4 pm, you likely won’t find a seat before your event. You should also know that they do not run their happy hour specials on event days. So no half-off apps and discounted beer on game/concert days.
Here are our favorite 7 places to eat near Amalie Arena:
Kevin is a member of Tampa Bay‘s Hometown Morning Krewe on 995 QYK. He has been with the station for 25 years, is a Tampa native, and went to Jesuit High School and USF. Go Bulls!. He is passionate about all things Tampa Bay. Kevin writes articles on the ongoing road projects around the Tampa Bay area, awards that Tampa Bay cities and businesses have won and country music happenings around the Bay area. He is always doing many things with his wife and kids. He loves to read books and play video games in his spare time.