TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa’s Boom by the Bay is featuring a boat parade along the Hillsborough River on Monday, July 4th.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says the parade will also serve as a celebration for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who came very close to clinching the Stanley Cup Championship title for the third consecutive year.
“We are going to have a ‘thank you to the Tampa Bay Lightning Boat Parade’ in conjunction with the 4th of July this Monday afternoon,” the mayor said.
Mayor Castor encourages everyone to wear their best red, white, and Bolts blue and cheer on the Lightning on the water or on land along the Tampa Riverwalk. The parade route will begin at 6:15 p.m. at Sparkman Wharf and journey down the Hillsborough River to Armature Works.
“Although the players won’t participate in the parade, this is our way of saying thanks to the boys for all that they have done out there on the ice this season,” Mayor Castor said.
You won’t get to see Andrei Vasilevskiy or Brayden Point hoisting the Stanley Cup at this parade, but you will have the opportunity to stop by Curtis Hixon Park and write them a message on a giant banner that will later be given to the team.
“Our team gave it their all, they left everything that they had on the ice and almost made it to that historic third-time win,” Castor said.
And that alone deserves to be celebrated – the Champa Bay way.
