Out of an abundance of caution and after consulting with healthcare providers, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (YMKG) and EventFest, have announced that they will postpone Tampa’s signature Gasparilla Parades to a later date this spring. The decision resulted from an ongoing dialogue between event organizers, city leaders and healthcare experts.
Tampa Bay will now welcome Children’s Gasparilla Presented by Chick-fil-A Tampa Bay on Saturday, April 10, 2021 and the Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest on Saturday, April 17, 2021. The closing event, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla’s Outbound Voyage, will set sail on Friday, May 14, 2021.
“Safety is our most important responsibility,” said Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla Captain Peter Lackman. “In the public interest of restricting events that bring large numbers of people to our community, we have made the difficult decision to postpone. We look forward to celebrating with our mateys safely and responsibly this April.”
Tickets for Children’s Gasparilla and Gasparilla Pirate Fest are on sale at GasparillaTreasures.com. Event tickets purchased for the original dates will be honored for the newly scheduled parades in April. Ticket holders are not required to take any further action. For questions regarding ticket availability or refund concerns, guests can contact office@eventfest.com.
This year’s postponement of Gasparilla festivities is not the first in event history. Over the past 107 years, parades were not held for numerous reasons, including when the city had limited public celebrations or during wartimes.
