Tampa Bay’s historic Gasparilla festivities conclude with the Gasparilla Outbound Voyage departing from Channelside Bay Plaza Saturday, March 2.
TAMPA – EventFest and Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla announce that Tampa Bay’s historic Gasparilla festivities will again conclude with the Gasparilla Outbound Voyage departing from Channelside Bay Plaza Saturday, March 2.
Join the Pirates of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla as they celebrate their conquest of Tampa. Following an afternoon of celebration and merriment, featuring live entertainment and “piratical” fun, Tampa’s original pirates will board their ship and with one final salute, sail off to sea to continue their adventures.
“I encourage all the citizens of Tampa to come out and join Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla at Channelside on Saturday, March 2 as we celebrate our victory and plan our voyage to the next port of conquest!” said Dr. James VonThron, Captain of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla. “I hear the Mayor may choose to join us, perhaps to wish us well on our journey. If he thinks he’s getting back his key, he’ll be sadly mistaken…..argh!!!!!”
The festivities begin Saturday, March 2, at noon with live music, food and drinks. Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla Pirates will arrive at 4:30 p.m. to enjoy a few moments of revelry before the Captain exchanges some final words with Mayor Bob Buckhorn and leads his Krewe on board their ship the “Jose Gasparilla,” which will push off from Channelside at 6:30 p.m. with one final cannon salute launched toward downtown Tampa.
The general public is invited to spend the afternoon celebrating a great Gasparilla season… and toast with their favorite “piratical” beverage as the Pirates of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla make their Outbound Voyage.
New this year, the Salvation Army in partnership with Northern Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Centre will host two locations (one just west of valet in Channelside and one inside the lobby of the Florida Aquarium) where event guests are encouraged to donate nonperishable food items to benefit their hunger relief efforts.
"As Tampa prepares to bid farewell to the Gasparilla Season and welcome back St. Patrick's Season, it is nice to see the city come together with a spirit of generosity to collect food for the city's hungry. St. Patrick's mission was all about finding common ground and all about service to others in need.” said Dr. Tim Campbell, executive director of the St. Patrick Centre and the world's foremost history on St. Patrick.
He continued, “And there are many great organizations out there, like the Salvation Army, making a big difference for those in need right there in your town. We suspect that if St. Patrick were there walking amongst you, he'd probably be a volunteer at the Salvation Army - so what better way to celebrate the man himself than for Tampa to take care of its own in the spirit of St. Patrick this March? So we encourage you to come join St. Patrick's Army by donating a few food items at the Gasparilla Outbound Voyage - we'll look forward to seeing you there."
The Florida Aquarium has joined forces with the Salvation Army and Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla this year and encourages all event attendees to join in on the fun as they send these pirates back out to sea with a pirate celebration at The Florida Aquarium.
The festivities will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Aquarium's Caribbean themed water fun zone, Explore A Shore; complete with a pirate ship and water cannons. Bring in a donation of nonperishable goods with a value of at least $10 to be donated to the Salvation Army and receive a free child admission to the Aquarium. Adult admission also required. Offer good on March 2 only. Must present donations at The Florida Aquarium ticket booth to receive discount offer.
Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla’s events include the Children’s Gasparilla Extravaganza, the Gasparilla Pirate Fest and the Gasparilla Outbound Voyage. The YMKG events are managed, marketed and produced annually by EventFest Inc. in Tampa.
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