Gasparilla Pirate Invasion: The history behind Tampa’s big celebration that’s continued for 120 years

TAMPA, Fla. - How do you tell the story of a party that's lasted 120 years? That's what they're doing at the Henry B. Plant Museum at The University of Tampa – telling the story behind the city's very own Gasparilla.  

Anyone new to Tampa may be surprised to learn that the celebration of the pirate, Jose Gaspar, is just a made up reason to throw a party that, over the years, just exploded.

"It started out in 1904 as a Mayday celebration to kick off the summer," said Daniel Carpenter of the Henry B. Plant Museum. "Gasparilla was moved to February, and it was on a Monday over the years."

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Now, the Gasparilla Invasion and Pirate Parade is held on the last Saturday of January – this year being January 27. The Gasparilla Children's Parade is this Saturday, January 20.

The Plant Museum lays out a treasure trove of everything Gasparilla, revealing precious pieces like the crowns of Gasparilla Queens dating back to 1904 and strange twists like Gasparilla 1924. It was the Egyptian year with people dressed as ancient Egyptians rather than pirates.

"That was in response to King Tut's Tomb being discovered," said Carpenter. 

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For that single year, it was something of a sarcophagus celebration. 

"Everybody was fascinated with the discovery in Egypt and Tampa was no different," said Carpenter. 

But, Tampa soon determined that dead kings aren't as much fun as pirates, who partied all the way through the Prohibition. The national ban on alcohol was repealed in 1933, giving pirates legal permission to drink. 

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"As if they needed it, I suppose," laughed Carpenter. 

Also in 1933, the Plant Museum opened. They've been collecting everything related to Gasparilla ever since – from ball gowns to beads. 

"This is an exhibit we put on annually," said Carpenter. "But, it's different every year, and it can be different every year, because our collection is so vast."

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So vast is this never-ending party that was made up so long ago, nuggets like the Egyptian Gasparilla are but a sampling of what to learn about Tampa's signature celebration and the little known secrets of it. 

For instance, the Jose Gasparilla pirate ship is not really a ship. It's a barge pushed by a tugboat. And, the pirate, Jose Gaspar, may never have really existed.

But for Gasparilla, it's never seemed to matter with the celebration that's been going on since 1904.