Gasparilla Pirate Fest

Every year in late January (next: January 30, 2027, with the family-friendly Children's Gasparilla on January 23), the fully rigged pirate ship Jose Gasparilla 'invades' Tampa with a flotilla of hundreds of boats, followed by a bead-throwing parade of krewes down Bayshore Boulevard. It's Tampa's Mardi Gras — hundreds of thousands of costumed revelers take over downtown.

Why our team sends guests here

Claim a spot on Bayshore by mid-morning to watch the invasion flotilla sail in before the parade — and wear a pirate hat; you'll feel underdressed without one.