Gasparilla Event Parking: A Bargain Price

There isn't anywhere south of the interstate and Kennedy Boulevard that isn't trying to make a buck from offering parking. These small Cracker-style houses are downtown, right by the Channelside District and the St. Pete Times Forum. $5.00 is pretty good and will be within a few blocks of the giant party that takes place downtown after the Gasparilla parade and go on almost all night.

Gasparilla Wreath #3: Doors of Hyde Park

Gasparilla Wreath #2: Doors of Hyde Park

Gasparilla Pirate Cupcakes

Even children's cupcake molds get in the spirit of Gasparilla. These, from Williams-Sonoma, will be a hit at a children's party.

Krewes aren't all pirates

Ferocious Pirate: Gasparilla Children's Parade

NOTE Friends: I have been without Internet, television and telephone (via Verizon FIOS) since last Saturday morning. After TWO in-home visits by service reps - Brian Tackitt, a Fiber Network Field Technician - and our Peke did not bite him - is my new best friend), one brand new router (two days to deliver), 2 1/2 hours on my Blackberry cell with repair, I am BACK and could not be happier!!!!!! I feel like a big part of my life stopped at a fiber-optic cable buried in my front lawn. Past that cable that is supposedly connected (!) to my home, we had NO service.

Last Saturday was Tampa's Gasparilla Children's Parade and it was so much fun watching all the parade goers, vendors and vehicle traffic lost in the streets of South Tampa and Hyde Park.

This scary, pint-size pirate took part in the children's parade. Check out his cutlass.

Gasparilla Wreath #1: Doors of Hyde Park

The 2010 Gasparilla Children's Parade and Piratechnic Extravaganza is tomorrow. In keeping with the pirate theme, many homes in Tampa are festooned with Gasparilla wreaths and black flags with the skull and crossbones. This coconut head swashbuckler is on a door in Hyde Park, ground zero for tomorrow's parade and next Saturday's main event, the Gasparilla Invasion and Parade that begins on Bayshore Boulevard and continues into downtown. A total of 131 units, including 70 floats and 51 krewes, will take part tomorrow and they estimate as many as 250,000 kids - big and small - will enjoy the day. Next Saturday's main parade could attract 350,000-400,000 spectators.