Ybor City, Florida- In typical winter form, the whole Northeast was covered in one of the worst snow storms on record and the south, in their mild weather conditions carried on with business as usual. It’s considered a cold front in the south if the temperature drops into the forties, which causes the true southerners to bundle up in their winter attire and cover their plants anxiously while the northern transplants walk around in t-shirts and shorts commenting on the lovely weather. Perhaps the northern states should take a hint form the south and do what they do best in the winter…party. New Orleans, the child of the Greek god Party and Greek goddess All Night Long, ushered in an early Mardi Gras with their Superbowl Champions, the Saints. Rather than compete openly with their own Superbowl or Mardi Gras, a similar celebration exist in Tampa before each of these events called Gasparilla.

Gasparilla is an annual event held in Tampa, Florida, which is loosely based on a Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar who operated in Southwest Florida. No one participating in this event can really explain the story or myth behind the celebration, much like the participants of Mardi Gras, but everyone is more than ready to celebrate. It’s as if people have woken up from their hibernation with a veracious craving prepared to sink their teeth into the next party. We followed Tony Batman as he got ready to roll with a group of friends.

The night began with parking, which s always a challenge, consist of actually finding a parking spot and then paying some stranger $50 to park somewhere that, on any other day, would be worth nothing. Next, the group wondered through the crowd looking for the perfect space to cross the street. If anyone has been to a parade, they know of the Gestapo that waits and watches for people who cross in front to the floats. So they did it anyway, and it was a no-brainer that one boy could not stop five men. Suddenly someone yells, “Hey, Tony,Dan, Derrick!” And there stood Luis, a d.j. whom they knew from work, “Come on!” Luis beckoned for us to join him on a parked float. “Have a drink!” We all stood enjoying our tasty beverages and watched the floats as they passed by. Without warning, the float we were on abruptly lunged forward. Everyone began to head upstairs to the top level. From the view on top, the gate to the street opened and our float entered the parade. Tony grabbed a handful of beads and began to throw to a cheering crowd. Suddenly, we were a part of the parade, which by the way, was the best view.

The concentration of Pirate dressed crowds packed the streets with obviously enthusiastic cheers. These parades are an opportunity for people to have unadulterated fun with role-playing and costumes, a chance to be whatever fantasy they like and let loose.  Out of the blue someone yelled “Everyone duck!” Since the parade route was on an actual street, the hazard of being hit in the head with a traffic light was ever present. As the float passed through the street, Tony and his unexpected krewe threw beads while Luis kept the mood high with his music.  It was amazing to see how fast a box of beads could disappear, especially when the pace slowed and Tony ended up in front of a balcony full of women.

The route ended far too early and it was as if the float crossed an imaginary line and Luis had to immediately stop his music. It was like a cop just busted up a party, which was kind of what they did. “Everyone off the float.” Tony, Derrick, Dan, Manu, and the rest of the group had a VIP reserved in a bar down the street. In all of the passion and gusto of the bead throwing, they forgot to jump off at their stop, the whole reason for being there. So through the “No Fun Zone” they walked. Derrick was walking telling a story to Tony when a cop interrupted him saying, “You can’t walk this way”. Pay no mind to the fact that there was a group of about thirty people all walking on the same street. “C’mon retard! Get on the other side!” Sadly, this Florida parade lacked a tolerant police force.

Finally, Team Tony made it to the original destination and took their spot from atop on a balcony, thanks to their French entrepreneur friend Manu. It was there that the crowds began to gather and chant “Show your tits!”. Once again the police appeared, this time in large groups of fifteen to twenty, for boob watch patrol.  Of course, it is a delicate balance to determine what is fun and what is violent, but we have hope that Gasparilla will take a que from their sister city New Orleans and become more lax and less like a crochety grandparent.

The night of excitement ended at a local pizza joint before the krewe made their way back to the car in the $50 parking spot, which by now was worth nothing again. Hanging with Tony, one never knows what to expect. While the journey started with just going to a bar, the adventure ended up on a float in the parade and a run-in with the police before making the final destination. One would imagine everyday is an adventure with this group.

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