South Tampa residents are crying about Gasparilla. Over 30 people (Trib says more than 50) showed up at a meeting to complain about the day long invasion and parade. They say it’s gotten too wild, and they are tired of it. Some have suggested it be moved to other parts of the city.
I can imagine that dealing with the aftermath of such a huge event is unpalatable. But really, this is a bit silly.
Reminds me of those who move near the airport, or the train tracks, and complain about the noise from planes and trains. The parade has been along Bayshore for decades and decades. You should have considered that when you bought your bit of paradise.
Hey, we all have to deal with stupidity in our neighborhoods for one reason or another. Be thankful that you know it’s coming, and can at least plan for it.
There’s no doubt that twelve hundred cops are probably not enough to handle the 350,000 people that show up, and for event planners to include only 800 port-a-lets is completely inappropriate. But for one day, we think the folks on Bayshore can handle it.
WP
1 year ago
Given that traveling on Bayshore isn’t required except to those who live there and that there are very convenient alternate routes around the effected area, I’d say the current location is the least disruptive route in the area. Can you imagine if they tried to hold it on Kennedy or Dale Mabry or Hillsborough? If Gasparilla were held in Port Tampa, Drew Park or VM Ybor the complaining residents wouldn’t even get an audience. Address the heart of the issue, enforce the laws that are being broke, employ more peacekeepers if necessary, and have zero tolerance for those that violate the rules.
Nope
1 year ago
It is awe inspiring and says a lot about the Tampa we truly are when we cram 500K people into a part of a city that only has 300K residents and get them all drunk and havce them act like bafooons.
We are tampa, and our signiture event that we want to define us is a pain in the asss frat party for old white guys in Krewes who can feel important. Yep, we got just what we wanted with that one.
The Krewses get to shpw how elite and pwerful they are and the slobbering masssess get their beer and beeds.
What a wonderful parallel to our political system in action.
Anonymous
1 year ago
Gasprailla has been around since 1904, but it was only in the 1960s that it was moved to Bayshore. So, many folks who live on Bayshore predate the parade on their street. The original route was Ybor City/Kennedy Blvd. I’d suggest moving it back to that route so it doesn’t have to go through a residential area. Who wants a bunch of drunks wrecking their front yard?
Meredith
1 year ago
Nope, I have to agree with your assessment. However, cool things have sprung up in association with Gasparilla — the road race, the film and art festivals, the events for kids. I am not excusing the pathetic nature of the Gasparilla cornerstone, but hey, those privileged white boys need to get their promotions somehow, you know?
Tino
1 year ago
Typical whining from the Bayshore/Hyde Park crowd. Let’s see, what else do they want?
- no “ugly” utility infrastructure anywhere, even to fix the third-world electrical and wastewater service
- no high rises buildings unless, of course, you already live in an existing one
- no street parking unless, of course, you already live there
- no new liquor licenses unless, of course, you already have one
I won’t even start on their traffic demands. At some point the city needs to tell them to STFU and GBTW.
Denis Baldwin
1 year ago
I’d dare any of those guys to live in my neighborhood. They get a parade for a couple days/year. I get ridiculousness every day!
junebee
1 year ago
I would imagine Bayshore residents pay some pretty hefty property taxes. I wouldn’t want people peeing on my lawn even one day of the year, and I don’t pay near what they pay in taxes. Move Gasparilla. Preferably out of the county…
Clyde
1 year ago
Property owners have the right not to have drunk and disorderly people barfing, urinating and defecating on their property at any time. If the city wants to continue the event on Bayshore Drive then the city, or the event organizers, need to bear the expense of putting up barriers to prevent access. From what I glean, there is a real problem with special interests blocking public access on the public reght-of-way. Perhaps that needs to be reconsidered to improve access. Then, set up holding pens at RayJay Stadium to hold all the drunks who should be arrested immediately and removed from the parade route. Personally, I will never consider attending Gasparilla until somebody with a really comfortable boat offers me a ride. Numberswise it’s easier to deal with drunken boaters than drunken pedestrians.
Clark
1 year ago
I think both sides of this argument are valid. Tommy’s airport/train tracks analogy is apt, although passenger jets and freight trains don’t pee and puke in people’s yards.
I know it’s probably too much to ask but wouldn’t it be nice if people could just exercise a little personal responsibility and restraint? Getting completely obliterated and acting like an ***hole is not a requirement to attend Gasparilla but there are clearly those who leave the house that day with the obvious intention of doing just that. If people would just dial it down a little, the problem would be basically solved. But we all know that isn’t going to happen.
I just think it’s more than a little bit sad that due to human nature being what it is, the easiest solution isn’t even a realistic option, leaving the only answers to this problem to be either dramatically alter the event itself or suck it up and deal with the nasty consequences.
Nope
1 year ago
If it were managed and controlled it would not be a problem. This though is not a city event, it is paid for and owned by the Krewes, which the help of the city.
We are asking the city to use our public dollars to clean up a mess created by the self important krewes.
Gasparilla is another example of how the self entiteled suckle at the teat of the government treasury. They flaunt thier power by giving us a near riot, placate the mases with beer and a show, then stiick the bill right back to the people.
Lets put the responsanility on the krewes where it belongs. Hold them accountable for the cost and damages created.
Residents shoudl consider a classs action lawsuit to hold the krewe accountable for the damages and they should seek to end the city support for the event.
Nope
1 year ago
Good idea with horrible spelling don’t you think?
Tam
1 year ago
Maybe it can be a “Traveling Gaspirilla” and go to other cities and states on the water. That way other parts of the country can suffer through it too. LOL
GKR
1 year ago
Yes, good idea, the “pirate ship made from an old barge” can be pulled around the bay area, bringing the threat of the Gasparilla event to ALL communities, terrorizing the neighborhood just like real pirates.
Maybe we’ll luck out and it will eventually sink taking the white bread wannabe pirates down with her.
GAR
1 year ago
Not saying it is perfect, but then what really is these days. Do people act up at Gasparilla? Yes! But what I have a problem with is the hypocrisy. Many of the same people complaining have taken an active role in the parade. Now like a lot of us things change and it gets old after you do it 10 years or so. Now they don’t attend the big party and want to call everyone else out. If you don’t like it don’t participate. If you say you didn’t know about it when you moved there, you would be lying. Basically if you don’t like the show, change the channel. One more thing before I climb down from the soap box. Hey Meredith, I agree with most of your comment except the part about “those privileged white boys need to get their promotions somehow”. Not everyone in a Krewe is white, privileged or male. Check your facts before firing your cannons and blasting everyone associated with the parade.
Denis Baldwin
1 year ago
What kills me about this is that the same people who bitch that “tampa sucks because there is nothing to do here.” are the same people who want to stop events like gasparilla from happening.
You can’t have it both ways.
Joke
1 year ago
Funny
Joakk
1 year ago
I guess not
Nope
1 year ago
GAR Says: “Not everyone in a Krewe is white, privileged or male.”……
Only one Krewe owns the parade and they were forced to admit an African American male a few years back at the order of the NFL Superbowl Committee. They currently have what, 1-3 men of color and still do not allow women. So yes, it is the old white men who run the parade.
GAR
1 year ago
“Nope” check your facts! Ye Mystic is the krewe that runs the parade, but how about the other 40 krewes in the parade. Very diverse ethically. Both male and female. One of the reasons many of the krewes participate is to get the public aware of their krewe, which in turn helps that krewe with their charity. You may not like to admit it, but most krewes do a ton of great things. So “Nope” are you going to cease to function because you can’t join YMKG? Maybe you should look at joining the one of the other krewes?
Nope
1 year ago
GAR” check your facts, the other krewes have to abide by the rules put forth by the Mystic Krewe, they own the parade.
You may not like to admit it but most krewes are white guys trying to buy their friends cause they are to old for fraternities.
Donlt give me the tied propaganda or try to chhange the subject.
I have seen how little charity work is done by these groups and that aint the point anyway – the point is one group of old white men foist a huge mess on us every year to demonstrate their power and stick it to us in the process.
All hail the white guys running the show, bow down before the ones we serve and if we are lucky they will let us drink beer and give us beads.
Sodahammer
1 year ago
I let my dog pee on lawns of these homes all the time and I get no complaints. What’s the big deal when some guy does it one day a year. None of these homes were vandalized. Were they?
“Nope” you seem like an unhappy person.
Nope
1 year ago
Sodahammer – thank you for the typical empty headed response when ever trying to discuss Tampa. Lets go to the talking points now
1) Why do you hate Tampa?
2) You are just jealous!
3) Why don’t you just move away!
4) You are just negative!
These are valuable talking points as they allow you to avoid the issue, change the topic to attacking the speaker and allow you to continue to delude yourself that there are no problems.
Always attack the person who points out how to improve to avoid the issue.
You seem like a simple minded moron repeating what he has been told, unable to think for himself and formulate an argument to defend a position. So you fit right in with the leadership in Tampa.
Clyde
1 year ago
Enough with Gasparilla!! The discussion has deteriorated to the level of the St Pete Times “Buzz”. We’re dealing with invincible ignorance. Let’s move on.
GAR
1 year ago
Nope,
I am not tiring to change the subject. Most Krewes are not as you say. You have nothing to back your facts. No one is forcing you to bow down or do anything you don’t want to. I have not read anything in your posts that offers any tangible points. You sound like a hater who never joined anything and now are very bitter.
Nope
1 year ago
GAR keep struggling to get a coherant thought out, I have hope for you.
Only one krewe contyrols the parade, and they even have the say in who is a krewe and which can march in it. So no we are not discussing most krewes we are only discussing Ye Mystic Krewe.
Thank you for responding with talking point number one, in the future save your time and simply reply “talking point number one”.
I in turn will reply to you with “Taking Point Number 2 – you are just jelous of me.
Kym
1 year ago
This is an historic event that has been a part of defining Tampa History and culture. As a child growing up in Pinellas County, we were not allowed to attend the parade (1970) because it fell on a weekday, and if you were absent, it was counted as unexcused. When the parade went to Saturday, this opened up a whole new box of worms.
I do not know if I would mind the parade once a year, but I do know this, Krewe’s are extremely involved in the community and monies raised from the Krewe’s are donated to their associated causes.
Take it back to a week day and see how the crime stops…
Nope
1 year ago
Krewes in general are not the issue – Lets go back to the main point everyone ignores or is ignprant of – Ye Mystic Krewe iss the sole controller of the parade, they even determine which other krewes get to be part of it.
The discussion of other krewes is meaningless to this topic.
Remembering the early years of Gasparilla | MyTampaLife
1 year ago
[...] so much negativity surrounding Gasparilla, I’d like to take a moment to show everyone a side of Gasparilla they probably take for [...]
Jose Gasbar
7 months ago
The Legendary
Jose Gaspar – Gasparilla, The Pirate
Jose Gaspar was a Spanish pirate that prowled the waters of Tampa Bay, Florida. One of the more successful pirates, Gaspar is credited with capturing over 400 ships from 1789 to 1821. Adopting the nickname Gasparilla, he buried treasure in numerous places throughout the west coast of Florida.
Known as the “Last Buccaneer”, Gasparilla was planning on retiring from a life of piracy. Ironically, on the day he was dividing his treasure among his crew. he spied a fat British merchant ship passing offshore. Gaspar couldn’t resist one last plunder and gave chase. Unfortunately, the merchant ship was really the disguised USS Enterprise – a U.S. Navy warship on a pirate-hunting mission.
Jose Gaspar pulled in close to the ship before realizing, too late, that it was a trap. A spirited battle between pirate and pirate-hunter ensued. Gaspar’s ship caught fire and was about to be boarded. Rather than give up and be hanged for piracy, Gasparilla wrapped a heavy chain around his waist and jumped off the bow of his ship.
While Gaspar disappeared beneath the waves, he was not forgotten, nor was his treasure. Gaspar had left it on shore with some of his trusted crew as he went to attack what he though was the merchant ship.
After the battle, the crew that remained onshore took the treasure inland and buried it in different places along the coast. None of Jose Gaspar’s treasure has ever been recovered.
For over one hundred years, Tampa Bay has celebrated the memory of Jose Gaspar with a massive parade and festival called the Gasparilla Pirate Fest or Gasparillafest. Over half a million people attend annually. The world’s only fully-rigged pirate ship, the “Jose Gasparilla”, sails up into Tampa Bay accompanied by hundred of small boats. The ship is loaded with pirates, firing cannons, intent on capturing the city.
Each year, the city surrenders and the pirates take to the streets and lead a huge parade with over 120 krewes and their floats winding through downtown Tampa.
Now a reincarnation of Jose Gaspar and his crew have returned and continue to hide more treasure in the Tampa Bay area. Finally, you have the opportunity to find some of his treasure for yourself…
For all of you perennial naysayers, please get a life.