Tampa: Gasparilla Recognized As A Can’t Miss Festival
One of the best things about the widespread success of festivals in the United States is that now every season is festival season. Given the weather conditions, Florida has an advantage where we can host unique events at almost any time. To kick off the year, Fifty Grande published a feature detailing the most “can’t miss” festivals of January and February and Gasparilla Pirate Fest in Tampa made the list. They set the stage by describing the “why” behind the day by saying, “To celebrate their victory, the rainbow clad pirates — called the Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla — throw a massive 4.5 mile parade with 100 floats of beads and pirate-themed art.”
Here Is What You Need To Know About Gasparilla 2024
The date is set for Saturday, January 27. However, there’s the Children’s Gasparilla portion taking place the week before on January 20. During this portion, the “lil mates” can enjoy a preschool pirate stroll, an air show, and evening fireworks.
“The ship and its accompanying flotilla travel north across the Bay and into Seddon Channel before they come ashore at the Tampa Convention Center,” Gasparilla Fest explains of the entrance, before the party takes to the land. Then, there will be the parade. To accompany the fun there will be live music. This takes place at the stages in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and MacDill Park from 10am to 8pn. You can find the full lineup of artists performing here.
Lastly, the outbound voyage “Sail-ebration” will take place over a month later on March 2.
Other Festivals Of Note
Fifty Grande’s list of unique festivals had Gasparilla in Tampa alongside some great company. The other events they noted included South Beach Wine and Food Fest in Miami Beach. This takes place February 22 to 25. This four days of food and fun event is “showcasing the talents of the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities,” their website states.
Guy Fieri, Robert Irvine, and Kardea Brown from the Food Network are just some of the special guests expected to appear this year.
Florida Has 2 Of The Most Beautiful Bridges In The Country
Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa
Connecting St. Petersburg to Terra Ceia, this bridge is 4.1 miles long. This stunning bridge over Tampa Bay is often lit up with colors that highlight the skyline. Furthermore, since 2018, there has been a Skyway 10K race that closes the bridge each year.
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Seven Mile Bridge, Florida Keys
This two-lane bridge is technically part of Route 1. It’s a magical gateway into the Florida Keys. Mr. Hudson points out, “the Seven Mile Bridge usually has space for sightseers to park up and admire the Florida Keys.” In 1982, a heavy renovation made the lanes wider, allowing for a safer and more comfortable drive. The last annual seven-mile bridge run took place this past April.
