Pirates Poised For Gasparilla Invasion

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Bay area has officially been invaded by pirates, but there’s no cause for alarm.

The ominous-looking ship in Hillsborough Bay, the sounds of cannon fire and even the Tuesday invasion of City Hall are all just a part of the festivities leading up to this year’s Gasparilla Pirate Fest. The pre-invasion celebration kicks off Friday with the second annual Gasparilla Charity Concert at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Bands lined up this year include The Hip Abduction at 6 p.m., Howie Day at 7:30 p.m. and the Swon Brothers at 9. General admission tickets are $20 and are available online at www.GasparillaTreasures.com.

While music will be in the air Friday night, rowdy pirates plan to make a lot of noise as they take to Tampa’s streets Saturday for the Gasparilla Parade of Pirates. Presented by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the event steps off at 2 p.m. at Bay to Bay Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard. The 3.8-mile parade continues along Bayshore to Brorein Street and turns east on Brorein before heading north on Ashley Drive. The parade is set to end on the corner of Ashley and Cass Street.

With an estimated 130 units, the parade is expected to last until about 5:30 p.m. While the parade is free to attend, reserve bleacher seating is available on the Gasparilla Treasures website, too.

To find out more about Gasparilla, visit the event’s website.

Photo of Mayor Bob Buckhorn surrounded by pirates courtesy of the City of Tampa Facebook page