TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Gasparilla season is back and the beginning of the festivities is just around the corner.
Everything kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 22 with the alcohol-free Gasparilla Children’s Parade and Festival. The parade goes from Bay to Bay Boulevard to Edison Avenue. Parking in the neighborhoods bordering the parade route is not permitted. There are some traffic impacts to be aware of due to the parade.
Here’s a schedule of road closures for the 2022 parade:
Wednesday, Jan 12 – Saturday, Feb. 5
- Close Bayshore Blvd. Crossovers at DeSoto Ave., Nance Ave., Albany Ave. and Gunby Ave.
Sat, Jan. 22
12:01 a.m.:
- Close Bayshore Blvd. from West Gandy Blvd. to West Platt St.
- Close Bay to Bay Blvd. from Ysabella Ave. to Bayshore Blvd.
- Close Davis Island Bridge off-ramp onto Northbound Bayshore Blvd.
9 a.m.:
- Close one Eastbound Lane and one Westbound Lane on Bay to Bay Blvd. from MacDill Ave. to Ysabella Ave.
3 p.m.
- Close Eastbound Bay-to-Bay Blvd. to S. Ysabella Ave..
A return to normal traffic patterns is expected by midnight.
Free Jolley Roger Trolley runs on a continuous loop, as it picks up and drops off visitors at the intersections of both Platt Street and Bayshore Boulevard, as well as Bay to Bay Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard.
MORE GASPARILLA COVERAGE:
The city is encouraging everyone to text Gasparilla to 888-777 for alerts about security, traffic and other updates for Gasparilla events.
You can watch next week’s pirate invasion on WFLA Now. The Invasion begins at 11:30 a.m. and the Parade of Pirates will be broadcast on News Channel 8 at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29.
