TAMPA, Fla. — The Gasparilla pirate invasion will look a little different Saturday, due to the expected cold temperatures and high winds.
Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla announced the Jose Gasparilla II is changing its route for the invasion that takes place on the Hillsborough River. The Gasparilla Flotilla will now take off from Port Tampa Bay and head directly to the Tampa Convention Center. This is much shorter than the typical route that runs from Ballast Point Park to the convention center.
Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, which leads the invasion, issued this statement:
“Due to weather conditions and out of an abundance of caution, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard, has established a contingency plan for the Gasparilla Invasion scheduled for Saturday.
The safety and security of the Tampa community remains our highest priority and continues to guide all decision-making. As part of this plan, the Jose Gasparilla II will sail from Port Tampa Bay to the Tampa Convention Center. In addition, our maritime experts strongly encourage captains of local vessels to closely monitor weather conditions and exercise sound judgment when making boating decisions on Saturday morning.
With confidence, we affirm that the invasion of Tampa will move forward as custom dictates, and Mayor Jane Castor is advised to stand ready to relinquish the key to the city at 1 PM.”
Local law enforcement is asking boaters who plan to take part in the flotilla to do so with caution.
After the invasion wraps up, all eyes turn to Bayshore Boulevard for the Parade of Pirates. Community groups and pirate krewes will laugh, sing, dance and throw tens of thousands of strings of beads to those watching from the sidewalk.
One of those is the Krewe of Blackbeard’s Revenge, who will be celebrating its 15th anniversary.
The krewe says since it formed in 2011, the group has raised over $400,000 for a number of Tampa Bay area charities, including Big Brothers Big Sisters and Shriners Children’s Hospital.
“That’s kind of what brought us together… philanthropy. Helping in our local community,” Krewe leader Howie Taylor explained.
The Krewe of Blackbeard’s Revenge was named after one of its founders, Bobby Schatzberg, who was affectionately called “Shatzie.” Schatzberg passed away in 2021 and his krewe decided to keep his memory alive by bringing a cardboard cutout of him to every Gasparilla parade.
“It means a lot to me when people say, ‘Look, it’s Blackbeard!’ Then they want to take a picture with him,” Krewe co-founder Darrell Haun explained.
Haun says each of his krewe members pays for their own beads that they then throw into the audience on Gasparilla. He says each year, krewe members pay hundreds of dollars a piece for just beads alone.
While the cold weather may not seem as fun for those watching, Haun says he’s looking on the bright side. Colder weather means he and his krewe can wear some of their most traditional clothing, that they haven’t had the chance to in years.
“We have jackets between $200 to $400 and we haven’t been able to wear them for probably 5-6 years,” he said. “So it’s actually going to be kinda cool to actually wear our full garb.”
The city of Tampa says to receive 2026 Gasparilla updates, safety tips and traffic alerts, text GASPARILLA to 888-777.