top ten tips for gasparilla parade
Reader Gordon Ridge forwarded his top ten tips for enjoying the gasparilla parade:
- Eat a decent breakfast. You never know where your next meal might be.
- Pack light. Leave the coolers at home.
- Hide a $20 in your sock. You will need it later.
- Sunscreen. Trust me on this one.
- Charge your cell phone the night before.
- Bring a disposable camera. If you lose it no biggie.
- Pace your intake of adult beverages. Mix in a water now and then.
- Be patient. Standing in line will occur more than once.
- Show some respect for the kids and seniors. There will be plenty of beads for everyone.
- Just when you think you have seen it all, you will see something that makes you go WTF.
There you have it! Enjoy the Invasion!
Tags: display, gasparilla, marketing, tampa, tourism
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January 24th, 2007 at 8:13 am
This should be posted in the the Trib and Times..PERFECT!
January 24th, 2007 at 10:19 am
A tip from Mardi Gras - write your phone number or address on your guests hands - they can’t get too lost that way when stumbling home drunk.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Go, Gordon!
January 24th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Thanks for the tips. I can’t wait for the fest-ARRRRR-val!
January 24th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I feel drunk already
January 24th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
great List! Could you please underline #9 or write a post about the number of adults who shove the kids out of the way while trying to get to the beads? Some of these people were downright rude about trying to scoop up their precious beads. My girls are grown now, but I still remember having to sheild them from it whem they were younger.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
LOL ! This is the best list of prep I’ve ever seen. We stick some of those Hear-o’s in a baggie, too … just in case. They help with the noise if some get tired of it. I never go to the parade anymore but back in the day was a float-rider …. (LOTS OF FUN)
and yea to what mom says about the beads. They even do that at the kids’ parade. Very callous behavior considering you can go buy beads down the block and the kiddies are living for them. The pirates and gals and other folks on the floats try real hard to get them to the empty hands. They’re awesome.
Thanks for the laugh !!
January 25th, 2007 at 10:20 am
I’m still bringing a cooler. Dammit.
January 25th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Single best tip I can give - if you plan on watching the parade, get a seat on the water side of Bayshore. Once the parade stops, they cut off people from entering that side, and you don’t get crushed/beat up/annoyed at all the stumbling drunks who want to knock your six year old out of the way to grab a $0.06 plastic necklace.
Of course, if you plan on taking the “cruising tour” of the parade, you don’t want to get stuck on the water side. Besides, I probably don’t want to deal with you either. Yes, I used to be one of the obnoxious jerks that drank way too much and annoyed the hell out of everyone actually attempting to watch the parade, but I’m way past that now.
Honest.
January 30th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Hey all,
I am from Iowa and was at gasparilla for my 27th birthday. I was on my sisters boat in the bay but had no idea how big this was. I had so many people telling me it was going to be cold on the boat but o my got By the end of the day I had nothing left to take off!!! I am trying to explain to my friends back home how awsome it was can someone send me some pics! Some of all the boats in the bay would be great!!! I am saving up for next yr!!!!