3 Reasons To Do The Children’s Gasparilla Instead
Children’s Gasparilla is coming up Saturday. But the big Gasparilla is next weekend. Maybe it’s my age. Watching the after effects of a bunch of college kids who had a few too many shots of Captain Morgan isn’t so much my thing anymore. If you’re new to the Tampa area or have never done Gasparilla before, by all means, I think everyone should go once. I did. No regrets. But I don’t think going to the big adult version of Gasparilla is something I’ll do again.
A listener called in to the show yesterday and said she and her husband just like to go to the kids’ version of Gasparilla every year. And they don’t even have kids. They find the experience just as fun without the negatives. It was a tip I’d been given years ago when I first moved to Florida and I haven’t heard better Gasparilla advice since. Here are 3 good reasons you might consider doing the kids’ version of Gasprilla this year instead of going next week.
Crowd size
Finding parking is no easy task for Gasparilla. I always suggest taking an Uber to the event. Let someone else navigate around the pedestrians and drop you off right near all the action. But if you go during the kids version of Gasparilla this weekend, you’ll find much smaller crowds and more parking spaces. The Uber rides probably won’t be as expensive either as that surge pricing can really get you when everyone wants to leave Gasparilla at the same time.
Weather for Children’s Gasparilla Will Be Near Perfect
Next week temperatures are going to plummet in the Tampa area. Denis Phillips from ABC Action New says Tuesday and Wednesday morning is when we’ll really feel the deepest cold with morning temperatures just a few degrees above freezing. As for this weekend though, Saturday is expected to be in the low to mid 70s. There will be a few clouds and there is a slight chance of a shower, but as of now it only looks to be about a 25% chance of precipitation.
Your kids can join
Then there’s the obvious. This is the Gasparilla you can bring your little ones to. Dress them up like a pirate and let them join in the fun. There’s a bicycle rodeo where kids can get a free bike helmet, a stroll for preschoolers, and they’ll love the Gasparilla Air Invasion landing at DeSoto and Bayshore Boulevard a block north of Howard and Bayshore.
The kids’ Gasparilla parade is a 1.5 mile route starting and Bay to Bay and Bayshore. It runs from 4pm to about 6:15. It’ll be followed by the nighttime air invasion at 6:15 with the fireworks lighting up the skies around 7.
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Tampa Stores Where You Can Find The Perfect Pirate Costume For Gasparilla
The Todd Couples Store
Okay hear me out… You can find anything from fishnets, corsets, pirate hats, to skull and cross bone pasties, The Todd has everything you need to get you Gasparilla ready! Just don’t bring the kids shopping.
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