Classic Tampa Bay Drunks: Gasparilla ‘07
January 28th, 2009 -- Posted in Tampa Bay Drunks | No Comments »It’s Gasparilla time again here in Tampa Bay, and for years the Drunk Krewe hit up Bayshore Blvd. to interview all the college drunks down there. Add the drunk mascot Boozie the Bear and a couple beer funnels and you got yourself a good time.
For all of those not in the know, the Gasparilla Pirate Festival and Pirate invasion dates back to 1904 and is based on the legend of the pirate Jose Gaspar. Members of the Tampa business elite put on an “invasion” of their city based on the increasingly popular figure of Gasparilla. Under the guise of “Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla“, an organization modeled after the New Orleans Mardi Gras parade krewes, the invaders donned pirate costumes and rode through the streets on horseback. The event was a hit, and the Krewe planned an even more elaborate spectacle the next year, when all 60 of Tampa’s cars were paraded through downtown. Now the invasion is led by the pirate parade float. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival has been celebrated every year since then, with only two lapses, and today, over 400,000 attend the event, which contributes over $20 million to the local economy. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival consists of three street parades, a children’s parade, an adult day parade and an adults-only night parade. It should also be noted that many krewes raise money for charitable events throughout the year as well in addition to participation in the parades.
