TAMPA, Fla. — Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend this year's Gasparilla Pirate Festival and, as part of the celebration, many will choose to drink.
For those 21 years old or over, you can enjoy the fun with a beer or cocktail in hand during the parade, but only in certain areas. Described as wet zones, the city of Tampa has designated three specific places for people to consume alcohol at the same time they participate in the event.
Wet zone No. 1 is at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa, and there will also be two alcoholic beverage vendors in this area.
The second wet zone is the area just outside of the park and connects West Cleveland Street, East Brorein Street, Channelside Drive and West Platt Street. The area forms a square on the wet zone map and allows people to drink on two walkways over the Hillsborough River. Also, this wet zone contains portions of Bayshore Boulevard after West Platt Street and has one alcoholic beverage vendor.
Wet zone No. 3 is in the area of Gandy Boulevard, West Hawthorne Road, West Villa Rosa Park and West Bayshore Court at Bayshore Boulevard. It is also in the area where the parade staging begins.
However, there no are alcoholic beverage vendors in this zone.
Although it is not a wet zone, people are allowed to drink anywhere on Bayshore Boulevard from Gandy Boulevard to West Cleveland Street to get good views of the parade. There are also five other alcoholic beverage vendors on Bayshore Boulevard.
Attendees are only allowed to consume alcohol in approved areas along the parade route, but they can't drink in surrounding neighborhoods, the city says. Also, people must not throw their drink cans, cups or other containers in the water as it is illegal and can harm wildlife.
The route map of the parade shows the event beginning on Bayshore Boulevard at Gandy Boulevard and concluding at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
The 2023 Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2023. People should expect lots of street closures during the event.