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Gasparilla Invasion Parade of Pirates | Gasparilla, FL


Stynky Tudor

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  • 3 months later...

TAMPA (Bay News 9) -- The Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa Saturday resulted in 79 arrests.

Two of the arrests were for felonies and four were for boating under the influence.

During the day, parade police made 57 arrests for underage possession of alcohol.

Tampa Fire Rescue said they responded to about 80 calls for medical service.

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USA Today put the total at 140 arrests, mostly underage drinking. Not good publicity for pyrate events huh? Pyrates are supposed to be drinkin, but kids are not and unfortunately Joe and Mary Public will associate the two with a little help from Media outlets.

Bo

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That's lovely. Don't kids these days know how to conceal their alcohol? Sorry, it's not funny.

But that is an awful lot of arrests...

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From the associated news stories at the website:

Police said they expect several hundred thousand people Saturday for the Gasparilla Pirate Festival.

79 arrested? Sounds like a very peaceful time based on the police estimate.

Why am I sharing my opinion? Because I am a special snowflake who has an opinion of such import that it must be shared and because people really care what I think!

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  • 1 month later...

Our local pirate festival is just as bad (Billy Bowlegs).

The event is based on a fictional pirate and was originally a boat and ski show designed to bring in tourists in the 1950's. The local business leaders wear silly Mardi Gras outfits with masks and capes, and battle Civil War reenactors. There are several YouTube videos online of the "landing" along with a few drunks fighting it out on a local sandbar (Crab Island). Too much booze and too many folks from nearby dry counties do not mix well.

I missed setting up camp last year, hope to have a GAOP camp this June. Anyone interested send me an e-mail at flpyrate@yahoo.com

Yours, Mike

Try these for starters- "A General History of the Pyrates" edited by Manuel Schonhorn, "Captured by Pirates" by John Richard Stephens, and "The Buccaneers of America" by Alexander Exquemelin.

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Gasparilla isn't really a pirate event. It's Mardi Gras with pirate parade krewes, instead of the broader theme Mardi Gras has. There are Mardi Gras costumed pirates in a college town. It has always been a booze fest. The only year I went one guy had a shopping cart overflowing with probably 20 bottles of Captain Morgan rum for a 4 hour parade.

There has always been public drinking, public drunkenness and underage drinking at this event, as much as there is at Mardi Gras. And given the number of people who attend, even 140 arrest is miniscule.

-- Hurricane

USA Today put the total at 140 arrests, mostly underage drinking. Not good publicity for pyrate events huh? Pyrates are supposed to be drinkin, but kids are not and unfortunately Joe and Mary Public will associate the two with a little help from Media outlets.

Bo

-- Hurricane

______________________________________________________________________

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For an event this large I am supprised that the number is that low. I went to Gasparilla last year and Klaus road on the Belemy Float this year and I have to say that it is one crazy time. Bead crazy college kids everywhere. It is a sight that I think every pirate fan should see at least once. The real freaks come out for the night parade.

There is a full story of Klaus' trip in the upcoming mag. It's a good time. Def not a re-enactor's paradise but it offers a ton of exposure. Tampa is one of the only places that year around I can walk around in full garb and no1 thinks that it is wierd.

 

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  • 9 months later...

I went to this event in 2008...imagine thousands of drunk teenagers (not in costume) acting like little wannabe gangsters, starting fights, puking, walking around with pitbulls...it was like a crappy frat party...with beads. Whoo-whoooo. Not to mention, no place to pee.

4167524562_d125b7c73f.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

January 30, 2010 | Gasparilla Invasion, Parade of Pirates

Tampa Bay, FLORIDA

Mardi Gras type festival commemorating Jose Gaspar. Street festival, fireworks, pirate invasion ( 11:30 am to 1pm) and Parade of Pirates (starts 2 pm - 5:30 pm, begins at Bay to Bay Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard. It continues along Bayshore Boulevard to Brorein Street, turns east on Brorein Street, then north on Ashley Drive. The parade ends at Cass Street & Ashley Drive. El Jose Gasparilla, a 160 ft. Corsair, will be escorted by a thousand pleasure craft on it's voyage into Hillsborough Bay. With blazing cannon and pistols, the black ship with its 800 pirates will arrive at the Tampa Convention Ctr.. The hoard of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla will demand the city of Tampa's surrender and then a parade will then wind it's way into the city before hundred's of thousands of screaming spectators anxious for beads, coins & cups. The pirates will join numerous other private krewes and organizations in the Mardi Gras-type event. The Gasparilla Piratefest (10 am - 10 pm) will then ensue with live entertainment, food and refreshments. Arrive early Saturday morning for parking, reserved seats, etc. For seating tickets.

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