Every year, an estimated 300,000 participants come to Tampa for Gasparilla Pirate Festival, a mock attack by a band of pirates called Ye Mystic Krewe. The pirates’ plot is simple: storm the shores, take the key to the city and parade down Bayshore Boulevard.

Tampa's time-honored tradition of the Gasparilla Parade of Pirates brings hundreds of thousands to the Tampa Bay area. It is the third-largest parade in the nation with nearly 150 participating floats.

Grab your beads, costumes, and eye patches, and get ready for the 2025 Gasparilla parades. The parades will affect parking and traffic, so here's everything you need to know about the annual fest.

Reporter Amanda Holly captures the Gasparilla Pirate Invasion from the sky. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The pirates invaded Tampa Bay Saturday and the city was prepared for the Jack Sparrows of the crowd. According to the Tampa Police Department (TPD),

Tampa, Florida kicked off the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival on January 25, with pirates invading the city in full costume after sailing into port on a ship. Beginning in 1904, the event is a celebration of mythical pirate José Gaspar,