Tampa Bay readies itself for an invasion this weekend. Oceans (and apparently bays) are now battlefields with the Gasparilla Pirate Fest set to go down.
The perennial pirate-palooza that is the parade happens in downtown Tampa this Saturday, Jan. 29, a comeback of sorts after the 2021 event was canceled due to the pandemic. Pirates bend to no law, but neither does a virus.
Starting Saturday morning at around 11:30 a.m., Hillsborough Bay will be besieged by an armada of boats led by authentic pirate ship the Jose Gasparilla.
Later that afternoon, at 2 p.m., the aforementioned pirates will celebrate their conquest by embarking on a raucous parade through downtown Tampa. There will also be an accompanying, though not historically accurate, Pirate Fest on the Tampa Riverwalk, with live music and sundry entertainments.
Make sure to wear an extra eyepatch or put a scarf on your parrot because this will apparently be the coldest Gasparilla in 10 years.
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This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2022.