I’ve been hearing about Gasparilla for going on five years now. When I heard the word, it conjured images of drunken revelry and beads. Lots of beads. So it’s no surprise that when people who had never heard of it– people who were not surrounded by college kids the last four years– asked me what it was, I answered:
“It’s sort of Florida’s answer to Mardi Gras.”
But after talking to a friend from Tampa, I learned that it has a basis in history that’s entirely separate from Mardi Gras.
We weren’t celebrating just beads, or a parade… or even drinking. We were celebrating something more important:
Pirates.
Captain Jose Gaspar was “adopted as the patron rogue” of the city of Tampa in 1902 when planning the city’s festival, owing to the myth that Gaspar and his crew had distributed their treasure somewhere along the coast of Florida. The first simulated invasion was done in secret, as something of a surprise, but it was so well-received that the tradition has continued ever since.
So thanks Captain Gaspar and Tampa. My friends and I had a lovely weekend. Highlights included:
Way too many pictures.
One of the best drinks I’ve ever had (Diet Sunkist and Vanilla Rum)
Some color– even if it’s a sunburn
And some great memories.
