Ultimate Gasparilla Guide: What To Know For The Events, Invasion & Parade
Ahoy Matey’s! Arrgghh you ready for another iconic Gasparilla festival & parade? Tampa’s favorite holiday is quickly approaching! With an estimated 300,000 in attendance, here are some tips to help your day go smoothly!
The events kick off on January 18 with the Gasparilla Children’s parade, featuring a bike rodeo, children’s parade, air invasion, and a fireworks extravaganza. The adult parade will be the following Saturday (January 25). Many have argued if it’s okay to bring your kids to the Gasparilla invasion and parade. While children aren’t restricted from parade activities, personally, I think the kids should stay with the sitters and let the adults have some fun.
What To Know For The Gasparilla Parade & Invasion
And now the big day for the big kids. The invasion of the Jose Gasparilla kicks off the day at 11:30AM. Get there much earlier though for a good spot near the convention center. You can even snag tickets to the Gasparilla brunch at the Tampa Convention Center for an easy-viewing of the invasion. Click here for tickets and more info. If you didn’t snag an early spot for the invasion, you can always watch at downtown hotels, Davis Island, and Harbour Island.
Instead of watching the famous invasion, you can also choose to sail with the pirates! Tampa’s Pirate Water Taxi will take people through the lively Gasparilla Flotilla this January 25. Adults can grab tickets for $189.95, while children’s tickets run $169.95 for this special 90-minute cruise.
The Gasparilla Parade of Pirates along Bayshore follows starting around 2 and winds down at about 5:30pm. About 140 krewes, marching bands and floats will be in the 4.5 mile long parade this year. Starting at Bay to Bay Boulevard, the parade will wind its way along Bayshore Boulevard, then turn east on Brorein Street, ending at Ashley Drive and Cass Street. The hardest part for Gasparilla is finding a good parking spot or drop off zone, check out the City of Tampa’s site for neighborhood closures and maps for parade day! The day wraps up with Gasparilla Pirate Fest with live music across the Tampa Riverwalk and Curtis Hixon Park.
Related: Tampa Stores To Help You Find The Perfect Pirate Costume For Gasparilla
Gasparilla Safety Tips
See Something, Say Something: A good rule to follow for any major event. Police are asking all attendees to stay vigilant during the invasion and parade and report any suspicious activity. Tampa Police have started a tip line for anyone to report any suspicious activity during Gasparilla. TEXT: Type the keyword SAFETAMPA and your tip to number 847411 (TIP411), and you will receive a response.
Stay informed- text GASPARILLA to 888-777 to receive Gasparilla event updates, traffic alerts, and safety tips.
