Tampa’s pirate festival opens with the full-rigged José Gasparilla sailing into downtown with a huge private-boat flotilla around it. The ship docks, the city hands over its key, and the afternoon parade runs along Bayshore Boulevard.
- On the water: The José Gasparilla pirate ship sails up Hillsborough Bay and is escorted by a spectator flotilla, often estimated at hundreds to over a thousand private boats. It docks at the Convention Center, the krewe takes the key to the city, and the Parade of Pirates follows on Bayshore Boulevard.
- Where to watch: From the water in the spectator flotilla, or ashore along Bayshore Blvd, the Riverwalk, Harbour Island and the Convention Center (ticketed brunch).