Floats and fireworks: Gasparilla Children's Parade 2019

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - For almost 70 years, the Gasparilla Children's Parade has been the family-friendly highlight of the pirating season and 2019 was no exception.

Miles of floats filled with buccaneers of all sizes made their way down Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, Florida Saturday. 

Dozens of members of the Ye Mighty Krewe showed off an entire year of work done on floats that billowed smoke, flashed lights, and carried the mightiest pirates in the Bay Area through the parade route. 

PHOTOS: Float-by-float gallery
PHOTOS: Faces and friends gallery

With temperatures in the 70s and only a few clouds in the sky, thousands showed up to catch strings of beads thrown from the floats. 

Tampa native and NASCAR race car driver Aric Almirola served as the parade's grand marshal.

Bob Buckhorn made his final march as Tampa's mayor in Saturday's parade. He's successfully defended the city from pirate invasions for the last eight years.

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Also making appearances in the parade were the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tampa Bay Rays, 

Security was tight for the event and no incidents were reported.