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TAMPA (FOX 13) - It’s Gasparilla time again! Saturday’s children's parade kicked off the annual season. Thousands of mini pirates -- and their parents -- invaded Bayshore Boulevard in hopes of catching beads.
It may seem like child’s play, but when it comes to catching beads, most kids will tell you there's an art to it.
"The first step is that, to get it, you have to raise your hand, and you have to scream," Jose Martinez explained.
Jose says he's perfected his craft for the past two years.
"I’ve caught like 130,” he boasted.
Everyone's got their own technique to get the attention of throwers.
"I say, 'Can I please get some beads?'"
"I usually wave at them, and then they throw beads at me."
"I just yell, 'Give me some beads!'"
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But you've got to be quick about it -- and crafty, if you want the biggest bead booty.
"If they go high, I'll catch them, and if they go low, I'll bend down to get them."
There's no better feeling at the end of a long day of looting than walking away with a neck loaded with beads. If you're smart, you may even turn that treasure into real gold.
"Um, we're like, going to sell them to people."
LINK: Tag yourself in our gallery of parade floats
PHOTOS: FOX 13 at Gasparilla
Of course, parents say their favorite thing is just having such a big, family-friendly event. Next Saturday, the streets will be lined once again with thousands of bead catchers when the adult Gasparilla parade kicks off.
WATCH THE FULL PARADE (mobile app users, click here):