IT’S HERE – The Gasparilla event featuring the infamous Jose Gaspar and invasion by The Jose Gasparilla ship! The Gasparilla Pirate Fest officially takes place on Saturday, January 28, 2023 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Tampa. (However, people come much earlier and stay much later all around the parade route). This year it is sponsored by Seminole Hard Rock Casino, and the 105th Gasparilla Invasion/Parade of the Pirates is presented by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla. This is one of Tampa’s most populated events bringing in between 500k to 1 million people to take part in the Gasparilla Pirate Fest.

The Gasparilla Pirate Fest consists of three main events:

• The Gasparilla Invasion – 11:30 am The pirate ship Jose Gasparilla invades the City of Tampa with cannons firing!

• The Gasparilla Parade of Pirates – 2 pm Having again successfully invaded Tampa, the Pirates of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla celebrate with a parade down Bayshore Blvd.

• Gasparilla After-Party – around 5 pm Although the Parade of Pirates ends , that doesn’t mean the partying stops!

PIRATE FEST: BEGINNING AT 10AM

Before and after the Parade, official Gasparilla parties and stages showcase music performances at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and MacDill Park.

The official lineup for 2023 can be viewed below.

THE LEGEND OF THE GASPARILLA INVASION

The Gasparilla Invasion begins on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. Presented by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the festivities begin when the mystical ship Jose Gasparilla will magically appear in the southern end of Hillsborough Bay at 11:30 a.m.

Did you know that The Jose Gasparilla is the only fully-rigged pirate ship in the world, and during the Gasparilla Invasion it is loaded to the brim with the legendarily mystical pirate Jose Gaspar and over 500 of his swashbuckling buccaneers.

Shouts of “Land, ho!” will be heard from the Jose Gasparilla, once it magically appears, poised to invade and conquer Tampa (but in a friendly way, of course). To defend itself, Tampanians will float along in a flotilla of ships, boats and watercraft of all kinds to defend the city and stop the pirate invasion.

Legend has it that the mystical qualities of Jose Gaspar and his pirates are too great and overwhelm the defending flotilla of ships, so all the ships join forces with Captain Jose Gaspar and his pirates of Gasparilla, and then they escort the Jose Gasparilla North across Hillsborough Bay and into the Seddon Channel (between Harbour Island and Davis Island), making their way into downtown Tampa. The City of Tampa is defenseless to stop the invasion, as the massive Gasparilla flotilla quickly invades Tampa.

The Gasparilla invasion flotilla of all the ships escorting the Jose Gasparilla is an unbelievable site to behold. Said to be the largest annual boat parade in the United States (and maybe the world), more than 1,300 boats, ships and yachts of all kinds are estimated to take part in the invasion. It’s an awesome sight to see, and if you’re lucky enough to be on a boat during the Invasion, it sure is a heck of a party!

Around 1 p.m. the Jose Gasparilla docks at the Tampa Convention Center in downtown Tampa, and the pirates demand the Mayor hand over the key to the city. This is when pirates celebrate their victory with a parade down Bayshore Blvd. in South Tampa.

WHERE TO WATCH THE GASPARILLA PARADE

The best places to view the invasion is either on a boat, at house party along Bayshore Blvd., a high-rise in Channelside or on Bayshore Blvd., or along the downtown waterfront – check out American Social and Jackson’s Bistro on Harbour Island, The Sail and Tampa’s Riverwalk, and of course the Convention Center itself. If you can snag an invite to a party on Harbour Island or Davis Island, that’s a great bet too as the ships all pass within yards along the Seddon Channel heading to the Convention Center.

GASPARILLA PARADE OF PIRATES

To celebrate their stunning victory, these friendly pirates share the wealth of their pillaging as they parade down the streets of Tampa by showering treasures with the crowds along the parade route. Beginning at 2 p.m., the parade begins at the intersection of Bay to Bay and Bayshore Blvd, and proceeds down Bayshore Blvd. towards the downtown. With over 140 Krewes in the Parade of Pirates – consisting of over 103 decked out floats with bead throwers, 5 marching bands, and over 50 Krewes, the parade is a Tampa spectacle.

FIRST TIMER AT GASPARILLA?

Starting Location-The first float is on Bayshore Blvd. just south of Bay to Bay – but with 140+ floats in the parade, the float staging extends more than 2 miles all the way down to Gandy Blvd. and Bayshore Blvd. Lots of people line up along Bayshore south of Bay to Bay because the crowds are thinner there – but there’s a reason the crowds are thin. The floats and Krewes cannot interact or throw beads before the official starting point at Bay to Bay.

Beads-The pirates and krewes in the parade celebrate by throwing beads and trinkets to the crowds (think Mardi Gras). Most of the beads are cheap “throw beads”, but if you’re lucky enough to catch the attention of somebody in the parade, you might end up snagging a cool set of beads – some of them are fancy! Also, bring your best beads and you’d be surprised what you can get in return!

What to wear-Comfortable shoes (you’ll walk miles), layers, and pirate garb, #obvi!

Viewing Areas-The non-water side of Bayshore Blvd is open to the public, whereas large chunks of the water side of Bayshore are restricted and reserved for private paid seating or viewing areas, corporate tents, and these areas have limited access to the public. Reserved seats can be purchased, some of which include things like bar and food access, private portapotties, etc. from Gasparilla Treasures.

Weather-The weather is anticipated to reach a high of about 72 on Jan 28, so if there’s a wind coming off the water it’s going to feel cold.

Alcohol and Safety-The City of Tampa has established temporary wet zones along the parade route. These wet zones are the only safe places to consume alcohol.

Unofficially, law enforcement is lax if you’re calm and respectful. There are some certain don’ts – which can basically be summed up by saying don’t be an idiot. Don’t have glass, don’t bring coolers, don’t bring weapons, etc. Check out the City of Tampa’s Gasparilla Safety Page for more info.

Road Closures-The City is alerting the public of road closures and towing zones to minimize congestion in neighborhoods that border the parade route. “No Parking” signs will be installed in the neighborhoods West of Bayshore Blvd. and will be in effect beginning Friday, January 27, 2023 through Saturday, January 28, 2023

TEXT: Type the key word SAFETAMPA and your tip to number 847411 (TIP411), and you will receive a response.

PHONE: Call 833-872-4636 (TPA-INFO) from Friday, January 27th @10pm EST through Saturday, January 28th @ 9pm EST

IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY, please dial 911

KINCHELOE GROUP’S GASPARILLA SURVIVAL TIPS!

Remember “It’s not a race, it’s a marathon,” stay hydrated, pace yourself, and start with a full belly!

Make sure to have cash, snacks, sunscreen, and layers on hand. Start early and end early seems to be the norm for this day. You’ll see pirates as early as 8 a.m. making their way around town.

We don’t recommend getting seats for your first time. The best spots are house parties on Bayshore. If that isn’t an option, it is really cool to watch the boat invasion when the flotilla “pirate ship” comes in.

You can watch it at American Social, Jacksons, or the Convention Center. You will need to get there early. Probably around 11 a.m. Then I recommend walking down Bayshore to see the parade. It is typically better to stay on the West side of Bayshore because it can be tough to cross during parts of the parade.

The boat invasion starts at 11:30 a.m. and ends at 1:00 pm. The parade starts at 2 p.m. So, you will have time to walk and get back to Bayshore for the parade. You will also have time to cross over Bayshore if you want.

Text GASPARILLA to 888-777 for Gasparilla updates, safety tips, and traffic alerts from the City of Tampa.

GASPARILLA TRANSPORTATION:

Where to Park-With almost a million people on a 4.5-mile route, there’s barely any room to move, let alone park tens of thousands of cars. Try not to park if possible. Grab a hotel, carpool, Uber/Lyft (use code CAPTAINMORGAN20), bus, etc.

If you simply must drive and park, allow ample time to arrive to your destination and secure parking.

Ft Brooke Garage (Whiting St between Franklin St & Florida Ave) will open at 7:00 am at a rate of $10/vehicle

Poe Garage (Ashley St south of Cass St) will open at 7:00 am at a rate of $10/vehicle. Due to the parade route, this garage will be closed from 1:00-6:00 pm. Customers will not be able to enter or exit this garage until after 6:00 pm.

Tampa Convention Center Garage (Tampa St & Brorein St) will open at 7:00 am at a rate if $10/vehicle.

You can always park in Ybor or the Channel District and click here to take the Tampa Streetcar for FREE to the event. It’s easier to get in and out of the city that way too! Side streets are often closed off and designated NO PARKING zones with towing heavily enforced! Remember DON’T DRIVE DRUNK!

• Take the TECO Trolley

• UBER

• Scooters-scoot your way around town

Have fun and be safe!