The story
Gasparilla Pirate Fest in Tampa
Gasparilla Pirate Fest reenacts a mock pirate invasion of Tampa each year, centered on the Parade of Pirates in which members of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla sail a 137-foot replica pirate ship across Tampa Bay to demand the key to the city from the mayor. Held most years since 1904 and modeled on the krewe system of New Orleans Mardi Gras, the festival is named for Jose Gaspar, a pirate figure from Florida folklore.
Since 1904, Tampa, Florida has staged a peculiar annual ritual: a fleet of boats, led by a full-size pirate ship, sails across Tampa Bay to stage a mock invasion of the city, demanding its key from the mayor in a piece of elaborate civic theater now more than a century old.