Who isn’t? It's the time of year again where we get to dress up as pirates and drink like sailors. If you are unaware of what Gasparilla is, let me give you a brief break down.
First off, the name "Gasparilla" comes from an old legend about a pirate named Jose Gaspar who invaded Tampa back in the 1800s. His ship was called the Gasparilla, thus becoming the namesake of this festival. For years now, people have celebrated this occasion by doing as the pirates did; drink and party.
It begins with getting up at 6 a.m., IN THE MORNING! For many like me, this is a big deal, so if there was ever a night to stay in and force yourself to get a good night sleep, this is it. I am far from a morning person so this step takes some extra coffee to get the machines working.
The next step is dressing up as a……pirate. If you are like most people, and don’t dress like you’re taking on the high seas everyday don’t fret, you don’t need a full on pirate costume to fit in. The attire ranges from wearing pirate inspired colors, such as red and black, to a full on Party City costume. So feel free to break out that flowy peasant shirt from 2007 and that random pair of fishnets in the back of your drawer from last Halloween and get creative. One of the best things about festivals like this is that it gives you and your crew a chance to try out those DIY skills that you've all been eyeing on Pinterest in your spare time (or during class).
After you’ve perfected your look, it's time to slip into your boots and give Polly a cracker, just to be clear here by Polly we mean you and by cracker we mean breakfast. Becoming a pirate is no joke and you and your crew have a long day ahead of you, so make sure to fill up before you set sail. Once Polly’s fed it's on to pregame, until you eventually come to all the house parties. These are not your ordinary house parties where people are just standing around. Instead, there are speakers blasting music everywhere, people dancing, jumping off roofs, and be ready to meet people you’ve never met before! Oh, and my gosh do you get a lot of beads. Get ready to carry strands and strands of beads around your neck for hours.
Before you can say Land Ho!, the afternoon begins to roll around and everyone starts to crowd the streets once again to head down to the parade. Here, you better not have too many beads on because you’re about to get 50 more.
Let me break this parade down for you. Over the course of about an hour, floats decorated as pirate ships filled with pirates pass you by ready to throw beads your way. So get your hands up and be ready to jump because if you want to get that booty you’re going to need to stand out to grab their attention.
After the commemoration is over it's time for you to go home. By this point, you are more than ready to hit the hay. For some, it's lights out but for others, the true pirates, they start their next journey out to the bars. All I have to say to that is shiver me timbers.
Who knows what this year has to bring, we will just have to wait and see. Good luck to all you fellow buccaneers attending Gasparilla and hope to see you there!
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my article out next week!
