It's officially time to break out the Captain Morgan. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival, the third largest parade in the country, takes over all of Tampa Bay is this weekend- and we're f*cking hyped. People travel from all over the world to celebrate dressed from head to toe as wenches and buccaneers, consuming enough rum to put Jack Sparrow to shame. For the lucky college students in Tampa we're right in the center of the action, and no one goes harder for Gaspy than us. This is what we live for, and here are the reasons why we do it:
Drinking at 8 a.m. is socially acceptable.
Wake up, drank. Gasparilla gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "it's five o'clock somewhere." Somehow that makes it okay to have champagne and rum and coke for breakfast, and no one judges you because we're all on the same boat- or ship. Batten down the hatches, it's gonna be a long day.
Friends come to visit.
This is the one weekend of the year everyone we know is dying to crash on our couches to experience exactly what we've been bragging about, and we all wanna show our friends from home the time of their lives. And let's not forget about getting to relive the glory days with past alumni. Here's hoping they can all live to tell the tale of Gaspy 2017.
Everyone is in elaborate costumes and it's not Halloween.
Whether you're someone who plans their outfits months in advance or pulls something together the week before, you can be sure to find everyone decked out in red, white, and black everywhere you go. Throw some beads on and prepare to go all out.
Endless parties- that never end.
No matter where you go you'll find a party on almost every street, and when one ends (or runs out of alcohol) it's on to the next one. Safe to say you'll be doing a lot of walking the plank, so wear comfy shoes and try not to get too lost.
Bar hopping.
Take your pick of any bar in the Tampa Bay area hosting a Gasparilla party, because the possibilities are literally endless. From kegs and eggs in the morning to Gasparilla block parties all over Soho, be ready to surrender the booty from dusk 'til dawn.
Gasparilla Pirate Festival
Most of us tend to forget the main event of it all, the parade. If you're lucky enough to make it to Bayshore Blvd in one piece, do yourself a favor and feast on some good food and collect as much loot as you can before the day is over- aka beads and booze.
Cheers to a successful Gasparilla 2017, because the pirate's life is the only one for me.
