Gasparilla is a major event; with numerous parades and events. The highlight is the 4.5 mile parade largely along Bayshore Boulevard, with around 175 professionally built floats, many "manned" by local Krewes. In addition to floats there are some local school bands. It is said that this parade is somewhere between the third and fifth largest parade in the US. Spectators line the parade route seeking beads thrown from floats and parade participants. The crowd is typically loud, happy, and boisterous. We have not seen any crowd misbehavior in our times as spectators. Needless to say, there is a very large polioce presencce, but law enforcement maintains a low presence.

We had a very good time!

This was the second time we bought tickets for the First Mate section. Our first time was in 2018 and we would have returned in 2019 but the parade date conflicted with a major medical appointment. The First Mate section is private, with just one row of chairs in essentially a private seating area with a security crew manning the entrances.

An additional selling point for the First Mate section is porta-potties in a private seating area that serve just a limited number of parade spectators. (We knew what porta-potties in the public areas look like after a day of Gasparilla partying.)