Gasparilla Pirate Festival

Common card · No. 354394

The Gasparilla Pirate Festival (often simply referred to as Gasparilla ) is a large parade and a host of related community events held in Tampa, Florida, United States, most years since 1904. The centerpiece of the festivities is the Parade of Pirates, which is framed as a friendly invasion by the crew of the mythical pirate José Gaspar (also known as Gasparilla), a popular figure in Florida folklore. The Parade of Pirates is often referred to as the Gasparilla Parade by locals, and the date of the event is known as Gasparilla Day. The Parade of Pirates and some related events are organized by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (YMKG), a local club modeled after the krewes of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. On Gasparilla Day, members of YMKG play the parts of Gaspar and his crew by donning pirate regalia and sailing across Tampa Bay aboard the Jose Gasparilla II, a 137-foot-long (42 m) replica pirate ship which is actually a steel barge converted to look like a large West Indiaman. Accompanied by...

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