Pirates 'Invade' Downtown Tampa

A boisterous band of pirates made their way to Tampa City Hall Tuesday to discuss terms of surrender with Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

While the scallywags intended to swipe the key to the city, Buckhorn just wasn’t ready to give in.

“Ye Mystic Krewe of the Cowardly Lions is attacking City Hall today,” Buckhorn wrote on his Facebook page. “They actually think I am going to surrender the key. Obviously, they never watched the movie ‘Braveheart.’”

While Buckhorn wasn’t so quick to give up the key Tuesday, it’s likely he’ll have no choice this Saturday when that band of pirates returns, joined by thousands of revelers for the official Gasparilla Invasion. The fun starts at 11:30 a.m. when the Jose Gasparilla pirate ship sails into Hillsborough Bay. The ship will dock at the Tampa Convention Center around 1 p.m.

At the convention center, the band of rascals intends to force Mayor Bob’s hand.

“The Mayor will surrender the Key to the City of Tampa into the hands of the Captain of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla,” the organization’s website states.

Newcomers to town need not worry though – it’s all in good fun.

Once the key is in hand, the 100th Gasparilla Parade of Pirates kicks off with the celebration, complete with floats and plenty of beads, heads down Bayshore Boulevard.

For more information about Saturday’s Gasparilla events, visit Gasparilla Pirate Fest’s website.

Image from Facebook

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