Darn… I missed Gasparilla! I bet it was a totally fun day to see the pirates invading my hometown of Tampa, Florida! Oh well! At least I can still tell you about my friendly pirate car magnets from Fun Car Tattoos!
A set of 2 Friendly Pirate Car Magnets sells for just $9. And… even if you missed the Gasparilla, you can be the first in your group to be ready for International Talk Like a Pirate Day which is coming up soon on September 19th!
Though… if you want to learn a little bit about the history of Gasparilla, keep reading!
History of Gasparilla
The history and name of this Tampa tradition traces back to the legendary antics of Jose Gaspar. Gaspar reportedly patrolled the waters of West Florida during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A society columnist with the Tampa Tribune is credited with creating a May festival in 1904 that first incorporated a pirate-inspired theme. The original members of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla stormed Tampa on horseback before becoming seaworthy in 1911. The success of those early invasions prompted planners to move the celebration to its winter time slot and encouraged the creation of additional events.