Thousands converged on Tampa for the annual Gasparilla pirate invasion on Jan. 25, 2025. Last week's brutal cold gave way to a pleasant afternoon Saturday, just in time for Tampa's annual Gasparilla pirate invasion.

Every year, an estimated 300,000 participants come to Tampa for Gasparilla Pirate Festival, a mock attack by a band of pirates called Ye Mystic Krewe. The pirates’ plot is simple: storm the shores, take the key to the city and parade down Bayshore Boulevard.

Tampa's time-honored tradition of the Gasparilla Parade of Pirates brings hundreds of thousands to the Tampa Bay area. It is the third-largest parade in the nation with nearly 150 participating floats.