“JOSE GASPAR”

The famed “Jose Gaspar” ship sails from Tampa Yacht Club down the channel to downtown Tampa in the annual Gasparilla Festival takeover of the city.  Grizzly pirates-for-a-day climb to crow’s nests and fire their guns and fire the cannons. They wave to people on the shoreline and  throw beads to girls in boats. In town they walk in the parade and throw colorful beads to excited children (and adults).

The ship is escorted by an  always large flotilla and is quite a sight. This has been going on for decades and is one of the most popular and certainly most colorful events taking place in Tampa.