Posted by giveawayboy on January 30, 2003 at 11:30:48:
In Reply to: What's Gaspirilla? posted by Fiiiyer on January 29, 2003 at 16:10:01:
The Gasparilla Pirate Invasion, Parade and Art Festival is an annual event in Tampa that commemorates the actual invasion by Jose Gaspar in Tampa's history. I'm sure there are plenty of sites that will talk about Jose Gaspar. Still, I don't know how much of this is legend or truth. At any rate, whatever the event was, it left quite an impact on Tampa Bay and it's residents to be remembered all the way down to the present. In the 70's when I was growing up it was more fashioned around the theme of Gaspar and it was a great family event to go to the parade together. Now the Gaspar element seems to take a second seat to a real big excuse for a late winter party. It is very much like a Mardi Gras thing now, or trying to be. In some ways there is still some class to it w the art show and the parade, I guess, though there is also a night parade now I do believe and I think there are those seedy elements usually associated w carnival or mardi gras atmospheres that are trying to get in there. I know that there is some of this, although maybe not as much as at Guavaween. Anyway, to some people it's about Jose Gaspar and Tampa History. To others it's about a parade and an art show. To others its about showing flesh and getting cheap shiny necklaces. So, I hope this helps you. Oh yeah, before the parade there is a mock invasion. The Gasparilla ship can be seen year round on Bayshore Blvd. On the day of the parade the ship arrives full of pirates who take over the city of Tampa for one day.
Later, Bill