Argh! It's Time For Tampa's Gasparilla Pint-Sized Pirate Invasion

TAMPA, FL – It's time for Tampa Bay's perennial preoccupation with pirates. The 2019 Gasparilla season gets underway Saturday, Jan. 19, with one of the more sedate activities of the festival: the Children's Gasparilla Extravaganza and Parade.

Taking place a week before the main festival comes to downtown Tampa, the alcohol-free children's activities feature a bicycle safety rodeo, air invasion, parade and fireworks, all geared to families.

This year's title sponsor for the Children's Gasparilla, hosted by Ye Mystic Krewe and organized by EventFest Inc., is Ashley HomeStore. Tampa Bay Chick-fil-A is the presenting sponsor of Saturday's children's activities.

"This event is the perfect way for us to celebrate the community while having some family fun," said Kevin Hook, executive vice president for Ashley HomeStores. “Not only are we excited to host kid-friendly activities and give away great prizes, but we’re thrilled for the opportunity to build awareness of our Hope to Dream initiative.

The mission of the initiative is to provide a bed for every child in need of a place to lay his head.

This is the first year Chick-Fil-A Tampa Bay will sponsor the Children’s Gasparilla events.

“This event is a perfect fit for us as it aligns with what we’re all about – family fun and community spirit," said Russ Voor, franchise operator of Chick-fil-A in Clearwater. "Through this partnership, we not only get to have fun with pirates and cows, but we also get to give back to our community through the bicycle safety rodeo, highlighting a Chick-fil-A Community Hero and helping to feed our local law enforcement on the day of the event. This is a fantastic event and we could not be more thrilled to be a part of it.”

“The Children’s Gasparilla has quickly become Tampa’s premier family event over the last few years,” said Maiken K. Stefany, vice president of EventFest, Inc. “We are excited for this new partnership, which is already proving to be both fun and good for the community.”

The day's festivities will kick off with a bicycle safety rodeo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hosted by Walk Bike Tampa, the free event will take place along Bayshore Boulevard between Rome and Dakota avenues. Kids will be fitted with a free, new bicycle helmet (while supplies last) and then use one of Walk Bike Tampa's bicycles to navigate a course that teaches them how to safely rides their bikes to school or through their neighborhoods.

The rodeo will be followed by the cutest passel of pint-sized pirates to ever walk the plank. The Gasparilla Preschool Stroll, presented by ZooTampa at Lowry Park, will get underway at 1:30 p.m. at Howard Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard. An estimated 1,200 preschoolers age 5 and under, wearing eye patches, bandannas and tricorn hats will walk, stroll or ride in creatively decorated wagons a half mile to Rome Avenue.

The preschool stroll will be followed by an invasion -- not by sea but by air.

Starting at 3 p.m., there will be an air show with vintage and stunt planes that will wrap up just before the start of the Children's Gasparilla Parade with an appearance by the United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team (the Para-Commandos) , which will land on Bayshore Boulevard. The commandos also plan to do a night jump at 6:15 p.m.

The main event, the children's parade, will kick off at 3:30 p.m. A feature of Gasparilla since 1947, the children's parade will begin at Bay to Bay and Bayshore boulevards. Children ages 6 and older will dance, march and ride on floats down Bayshore Boulevard to Edison and Bayshore. More than 100 units will participate in the parade including dance troupes, marching bands, floats, decorated cars and more than 40 krewes.

When the children's parade wraps at dusk, families are invited to sit back, relax and enjoy Gasparilla "Piratechnics," Tampa Bay's largest fireworks display of the year will be launched starting at 7 p.m. just off Bayshore Boulevard at Howard Avenue. A musical soundtrack played over speakers situated along Bayshore from Ardson Place to Nance Avenue will accompany the fireworks display.

For those willing to fork over a bit of booty for a guaranteed prime view of the children's parade, Bleacher Seat Tickets are $40 in advance, plus tax. First Mate (first row) Reserved Chair Seating is $50 in advance, plus tax. Scully Club Tickets include private seating and a catered lunch. The cost is $135 for adults and $85 for children 12 and under, in advance, plus tax.

Click here for tickets.

Images via Eventfest

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)