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The original Gasparilla krewe, Ye Mystic Krewe,
began in 1904
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Beads became a regular feature at the 1986
Gasparilla.
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Gasparilla's pirates first invaded Tampa by ship
in 1911.
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Gasparilla's second krewe, the Krewe of Venus,
formed in 1966.
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No Gasparillas were held from 1942 through 1946
because of World War II.
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The original Gasparilla krewe, Ye Mystic Krewe,
inaugurated its first black members under community pressure in
1992, a mere 28 years after the Civil Rights Act.
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The Gasparilla Distance Classic debuted in 1978.
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Mary Lee Douglas was the first crowned Queen of
Gasparilla in 1904.
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In 2001, the day parade - which would produce
record crowds nearly double the average - was moved up to January to
coincide with Super Bowl XXXV at Raymond James Stadium.
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Ybor Brewing Co. produced the first batch of its
seasonal Gaspar's Ale to appreciative drinkers in November 1994.
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After an explosion of new krewes in the 1990s,
the festival-founding Ye Mystic Krewe demanded - ultimately
unsuccessfully - that only its members be allowed to dress as
pirates for the 2004 centennial.
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The very first Gasparilla featured 50 satin-clad
horsemen appearing on city streets and claiming to be Gaspar's
pirate crew.
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The second Gasparilla parade, in 1905, was the
first to include automobiles. But only three car owners
participated, because others still had not mastered driving.
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Around the time of the 2003 festival, mayoral
candidate Frank Sanchez proclaimed that Ye Mystic Krewe should allow
female members. Over the next nine days, he publicly reversed
himself on the topic, then switched back again.
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In 1931, King Gasparilla's float was pulled by
eight mules, according to The History of Ye Mystic Krewe of
Gasparilla 1904-1979, by Nancy Turner.
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In recent years the city has provided about 400
portable toilets along the day parade route.
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The city estimates day parade attendance at about
400,000.
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The first Gasparilla cookbook came out in 1961.
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The Gasparilla invasion was a theme in local
mystery author M. Diane Vogt's 2002 novel, Gasparilla Gold.
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There were no parades from 1907 to 1909,
supposedly due to lack of interest.
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In 2005, Gasparilla organizers moved the invasion
up one week to prevent competition with the Super Bowl.
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The Gasparilla day parade, traditionally held on
Mondays, shifted to Saturday in 1988 in the hopes more people could
attend.
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Edward R. Gunby was the first crowned King of
Gasparilla.
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83. Organizers canceled the parade in 1991 rather
than give in to calls to integrate the krewes.
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At the 1971 Debutante Ball, the late Gasparilla
King "Red" Pittman, who was holding his crown on his lap,
accidentally set it afire with a cigarette. He was unscathed but
wore the charred crown the rest of the evening.
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George Hardee first suggested using Jose Gaspar's
legend for the party that became Gasparilla.
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According to Gaspar's legend, when defeated by a
U.S. Navy warship, the pirate seized a heavy chain, wrapped it
around his waist and neck, and leaped into the water, brandishing
his sword in a final gesture of defiance as he sank into the sea.
