Gasparilla Pirate Invasion

January 28, 2023 in Tampa

Updated:

December 19, 2022
Facebook photo
The pirates are ready to invade downtown Tampa this January.

Event Details:

Each year in late January, Tampa celebrates the likely-fictional pirate Jose Gaspar by re-enacting his “invasion” of Tampa from the early 1880s. A band of pirates from the social group Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla – accompanied by a flotilla of hundreds of smaller boats – sails into the waters off downtown Tampa aboard the Jose Gasparilla, a 165-foot-long “pirate” ship. Upon receiving the pre-arranged “surrender” from Tampa city officials, the pirates stage a celebratory parade through downtown Tampa. There’s a series of other Gasparilla-related events that occur before and after the pirate invasion (including a night parade, children’s parade, running events and an art show), but the “victory parade” is the top attraction and is usually shown live on local TV.

Dates:

January 28, 2023

Tickets:

The event is free but some related events require tickets.

Location:

Downtown Tampa

More Information:

Gasparilla Pirate Festival official site

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