{"id":129009,"date":"2026-01-23T11:10:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T11:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/129009\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T11:10:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T11:10:06","slug":"gasparilla-kicks-off-in-tampa-with-kids-parade-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/129009\/","title":{"rendered":"Gasparilla kicks off in Tampa with Kids Parade this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

TAMPA, Fla — Tens of thousands of people are expected to line Bayshore Boulevard this weekend for the\u00a0Gasparilla Kids Parade<\/a>, the first of three major parades celebrating Tampa\u2019s pirate history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With multiple large-scale events packed into the weekend, city officials, first responders, and local businesses are gearing up for a busy few days \u2014 and urging parade-goers to plan ahead.<\/p>\n

What You Need To Know<\/p>\n

Take a photo of your child\u00a0before leaving home. If a child becomes separated in the crowd, having a recent photo can help officers reunite families more quickly
\nAvoid driving if possible.\u00a0City officials recommend using public transportation to reduce congestion
\nIf you do drive, use the city\u2019s interactive parking map, available online
\nTake a picture of where you park.\u00a0Police say many post-parade calls involve people who can\u2019t find their cars \u2014 an issue that\u2019s easily preventable
\nGuide to Tampa’s Children’s Gas\u00adparilla 2026 parade, events<\/a><\/p>\n

The Gasparilla Kids Parade isn\u2019t the only attraction drawing crowds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The weekend also includes an airshow before the parade, fireworks afterward, and numerous public and private parties happening along and near Bayshore Boulevard.<\/p>\n

Local businesses are leaning into the festivities. One of them,\u00a01983 on South MacDill Avenue, is hosting a kids-themed Gasparilla party starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. The family-friendly event includes games, activities, and food designed with younger parade-goers in mind.<\/p>\n

Connor Marks, director of public events at 1983, said\u00a0Gasparilla consistently brings a boost in visibility and foot traffic to the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say it definitely drives a lot more traffic for these areas right off of Bayshore, especially with what kind of our message here is \u2014 family-friendly focused,\u201d Marks said.<\/p>\n

While families enjoy the festivities, first responders will be working behind the scenes to keep everyone safe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This week, Tampa Police gave a behind-the-scenes look at their\u00a0Real Time Crime Center, which will serve as a joint operations command center during Gasparilla. Law enforcement and fire rescue teams will monitor live drone footage, ground cameras, and real-time maps throughout the event.<\/p>\n

Tampa Police Sgt. James Valentino says the center plays a crucial role in coordinating communication between agencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our functions here is to become a JOC \u2014 a joint operations command center \u2014 and we will help coordinate all of those different agencies so the information sharing is seamless,\u201d Valentino said.<\/p>\n

In total,\u00a030 agencies\u00a0will be providing support, including Tampa Police, Hillsborough County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Fire Rescue, the Coast Guard, FDLE, and even the FBI.<\/p>\n

Traffic is expected to increase near Bayshore Boulevard and downtown Tampa by mid-morning Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Gasparilla Kids Parade is scheduled to begin at\u00a04 p.m.<\/p>\n

Officials say planning ahead and following safety guidance can help ensure a smooth and fun-filled Gasparilla weekend for everyone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TAMPA, Fla — Tens of thousands of people are expected to line Bayshore Boulevard this weekend for the\u00a0Gasparilla…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129010,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[274,770,36011,276,2635,115,135,137,136,278],"class_list":["post-129009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-app-top-stories","tag-community-news","tag-gasparilla-pirate-festival","tag-hillsborough-county","tag-jason-lanning","tag-news","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}