
In what's shaping up to be a swashbuckling showdown, pirates are planning to descend upon the city's downtown area with a message that's more playful parade than pillage. According to an official alert from the City of Tampa's news release, these buccaneers from Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla have set their sights on none other than Tampa's Mayor Jane Castor. Sporting not swords but satire, they are to arrive at City Hall with a demand for a meeting tomorrow, at high noon, to supposedly negotiate the terms of the city's "surrender".
This theatrical tradition involves members of the Krewe's Plunder-Team Ten who reportedly plan to quickly take over City Hall. "Their intent: negotiate a peaceful surrender of the city or face a long and costly battle," stated the City of Tampa's news release. This engagement precedes a larger "invasion" slated for January 27, when the Krewe will openly call on Mayor Castor to surrender the key to the City of Tampa. If the Mayor opts to not meet voluntarily, the advance team from Ye Mystic Krewe will proceed to respectfully escort her to the designated meeting place.
Stepping back from cannon fire to festive fanfare, the 2024 Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest begins at the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday, January 27, at 10:00 a.m. with an Invasion Brunch. Spectators can anticipate a colorful spectacle as the event moves to the waterfront to witness the iconic Gasparilla Invasion. Here, pirates aboard the Jose Gasparilla will dock tableside at 1 p.m., leading up to the Mayor's handover of the city key shortly thereafter at approximately 1:15 p.m. These festivities mark the continuation of a Tampa tradition stretching back to 1904.
With the city's blessing, and certainly less pillaging than the historical Gasparilla legend might suggest, the parade will officially start at 2 p.m., following celebrations in the streets. Commencing at Bay to Bay and Bayshore, the Gasparilla Parade of the Pirates promises to bring colorful revelry to the heart of Tampa. Media seeking to cover this event can find parking made available on the north curb of Kennedy, between Franklin and Tampa, as noted in the city's dispatch.