Sanitation Services at Gasparilla Pirate Fest 2022

The History of Gasparilla Pirate Fest

Tampa Bay’s Gasparilla Pirate Festival began in 1904 and was named after legendary pirate Jose Gasper. The story of Jose Gaspar’s hidden treasure resurfaced which created the idea to bring a mock pirate invasion to life. Loise Francis Dodge and George W. Hardee, alongside the government of Tampa, had no idea that this small idea would blossom into the event it is today. 

Legend has it that Jose Gaspar was a Spaniard who was banished from the court of the Spanish king, thus beginning a life of piracy. Gaspar invaded Florida in the late 18th and 19th centuries, ravaging the town and hiding his treasure for future pirates to find. To commemorate the pirate invasion, parades are held during the Gasparilla Fest where Gasper and his crew, named the Ye Mystic Krewe, invade the city.

In the first seven years of the festival, the pirates would invade on horseback, however, beginning in 1911 the pirates begin invading on a ship and stuck ever since. By 1937 they built their first ship called the Jose Gasparilla I and only eight years later built the Jose Gasparilla II. This is the worlds only fully functioning pirate ship. 

What to Expect at Gasparilla Pirate Fest

During the Gasparilla parade, the Captain and his Krewe invade the city and unload their ship to meet the mayor of Tampa. The mayor then “surrenders” the key to the city to the pirates, thus, beginning the Parade of Pirates. This parade continues down Bayshore Blvd and continues to make its way into the downtown Tampa area. The Captain and his Krewe share their wealth by throwing out beads and treasures with lively music and costumes alongside an enthusiastic crowd along the 4.5-mile parade route. 

Expect to see:

• Over 103 elaborate floats
• 5 marching bands
• Over 50 distinct Krewes
• The infamous YMKG pirates