TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As the Ye Mystic Krewe pirates get ready to invade the City of Tampa, crews are working around the clock behind the scenes to get ready for Tampa’s biggest party.
Event organizers are gearing up for the hundreds of thousands of people that will be in town for Gasparilla Saturday.
“It is going to be colder, but then we did take a year off, so I think the community is ready and is really excited that Gasparilla is back,” said Maiken Stephany, Event Fest Vice President. “We’re looking forward to celebrating and I don’t think the cool weather is going to stop them.”
Stephany said it takes a village to put on an event like this. She said hundreds if not thousands of people from the city, local law enforcement and solid waste, have been working together to make sure the event goes off without a hitch.
“We work really well with our city partners,” said Stephany. “It takes a village to do something this. We’re small office. We’re family-owned business. It takes us all year to do it.”
While Gasparilla was cancelled last year, there was more time to plan for Saturday’s festivities. For weeks, Bayshore Boulevard has been looking different with bleachers, fencing, and other equipment all in preparation for Gasparilla.
“You can see them out they’re moving fence lines, or hanging banners or where they might need to go it really is that kind of go time moment we call ourselves team no sleep when it’s event weekend,” said Stephany.
The Jose Gasparilla will set sail at 11:30 A.M. to the convention center for the pirate invasion then the parade will begin at 2 P.M. on Bayshore and Bay to Bay Boulevards and will continue on for a 4.5-mile path with 50 krewes and 100 floats. There is a small craft advisory from 10 a.m. Friday until 7 p.m. Saturday, so Tampa police are encouraging boaters to watch the invasion from land.
