What to know about Gasparilla 2025
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The vibes at Gasparilla 2018. Photo: Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images
Ahoy, Gasparilla season! Tampa's Mardi Gras-like festival is taking over downtown on Saturday.
Why it matters: It's one of Tampa Bay's cultural touchstones — and even if you're not trying to get drunk with a bunch of bead-throwing Tampeños in ruffly shirts, you need to know what's going on in order to avoid them.
- Here are the deets.
Schedule
First up, the Gasparilla Invasion Brunch at the Tampa Convention Center offers a venue to watch the festivities unfold, grab breakfast and get the party started early with some mimosas. Buy tickets here.
- It goes from 10am-1pm. The invasion, in which the proverbial Jose Gasparilla sails into the convention center basin with Ye Mystic Krewe and a flotilla of boats, goes from 11:30am-1pm.
Next up, the main event. The Parade of Pirates will kick off at 2pm and head 4.5 miles along Bayshore Boulevard and into downtown Tampa.
- And don't forget to catch live music at Curtis Hixon and MacDill parks that will last from 10am-8pm, with a break for the parade.
Road closures
There will be many, including much of Bayshore Boulevard, Ashley Drive and bridges crossing the Hillsborough River into downtown.
- The city of Tampa has a map and schedule of all closures here.
Pro tip: Bayshore closes the night before starting at 8pm.
Parking
Garage and neighborhood parking will be available around Tampa. The city recommends the Pam Iorio, Tampa Convention Center and Fort Brooke garages, among others.
- Garages cost a flat rate of $20 or $30 depending on when you want to park.
- If you want to give street parking a shot, be sure to consult the city's interactive map showing where that is and isn't allowed.
Transit options: The TECO Line Streetcar and a HART bus shuttle, both free, will be transporting revelers back and forth between Ybor City and downtown.
- Streetcar service runs from 8:30am-2:30am, while bus service is from 9:30am-7pm.
Weather
Grab your woolen stockings. It'll be chilly in the morning and warm up to a the low 60s during the day, per the National Weather Service. Mostly sunny skies expected — hurrah!
- It'll get down to the upper 40s at night.
Alcohol rules
Pirates of age can openly drink in designated "wet zones" along the parade route.
- Zones are generally along Bayshore and in Curtis Hixon Park. For a map, plus beverage vendor locations, click here.
Bead recycling
Good news: All of those beads don't have to go to waste — or end up in the waterways we all love.
Zoom in: Starting Jan. 27 and lasting through May, revelers can drop off their strands at the following locations to be cleaned, repackaged and sold next year:
- Kate Jackson Community Center
- Loretta Ingraham Recreation Complex
- Copeland Park Center
- MacDonald Training Center
Or: Drop off your beads between Jan. 18 and Feb. 18 at the Florida Aquarium to receive a ticket discount.