So I’ll be in Tampa in a few weeks for my future BILs bachelor party that is centered around Gasparilla. Most of the party is from Louisiana so it looks like a Pirate Mardi Gras, which honestly sounds like a blast. I tried to search but a lot of Gasparilla bowl posts got in the way so are there any good tips besides dress like a pirate and get drunk? I think there are one or two locals so that should help but I don’t know anyone besides the bachelor so im trying to hedge my bets a little bit with this crew. Bring throwaway coolers or are there plenty of bars to hop into and grab a drink? Anything is appreciated. TIA.
Plenty of people itt I'm sure are happy to help out with any info (been going since I was a kid). For the Saturday of the parade are there any set plans about what yall are doing? It's a helluva time, unless yall are in the parade I wouldn't dress like a pirate (pay attention to the weather). Basically start drinking in the morning and the parade starts around 2. A lot depends on where you are staying, pregame spot, parade spot (if you're actually going), etc.
Well that’s good advice already cause I was told you’d look dumb if you didn’t dress up. There is a loosely based plan to go down “there” early and then go to the parade and maybe a house party in the afternoon. Thats literally the plan from the groom but with 15 people who have never been to Tampa, I can see this devolving quickly. I’m thinking about not staying in the Airbnb and getting a hotel near the parade so I have a home base. I’m also hoping for a miracle Washington vs Tampa NFC championship game to parlay this trip into.
Can deal with more details when sober but just making sure yall are coming the weekend of the 25th, only asking because there's a "children's parade" the week before on the 18th which is the PG version of Gasparilla yall don't wanna go to.
if you’re really adamant about doing this, I would probably recommend downtown. That’s the only place with a bunch of bars within close distance. Otherwise, you’re going to be in a huge crowd with drunk rednecks and drunk high schoolers basically in a neighborhood . It will be much easier to get and out of downtown as well. I’d say pass on the idea all together, but it’s not my party. Definitely do not dress like a fucking pirate
I would not dress up. The whole parade goes down Bayshore. Towards downtown. Bayshore is water on one side neighborhoods on the other. It’s a good hike towards bars. Most of them are on Howard Avenue. Not sure what they do for Gasparilla. Downtown will be packed but plenty of bars and hotels with bars in that area. I would make dinner reservations now if that’s something yall want to do. Lot of people go out for dinner after Gasparilla.
Attire: there will be people dressed as pirates but most people dress like they would normally for an afternoon/evening out. Don’t go full pirate. Buy some beads somewhere for the group. Personally I don’t like the parade crowd so I like to hang out at a bar like Jacksons near downtown. You get the party atmosphere while away from a lot of the crowds at the parade. It’s a shitshow getting anywhere after Uber-wise for a long time after. Rates will be jacked up as well.
Thanks all - I have no idea what to expect with these guys but probably just hit the bars all day. And I’ll probably split off at some point and do some walking around. Glad I won’t be looking like an idiot in a pirate costume doing so. It looks like we have a nice Airbnb straight south from the horse track on Mobbly Bay. I know we’re going to the track on Friday, which is more my speed.
do the invasion then go outside downtown/bay shore area. I’d recommend going over to downtown st pete. Edit - if you’re up there, do safety harbor/dunedin
Sounds like you're staying about a mile or two from my house I can vouch for doing Gasparilla downtown. It's easier to get in/out of and there are a few bars within walking distance of the parade route that can serve as a base (Hattricks, Four Green Fields, Anchor Tavern). If you get there early enough, you can also watch the invasion. (Jackson's, American Social, Sail Plaza are gonna have good views). The other option is to watch the parade on Bayshore (ideally between Gumby and Rome) and then walk to the bars on Howard Ave or in Hyde Park after and hangout until you can get your ride back to the airbnb. Definitely make a dinner reservation somewhere downtown or Hyde Park to have in your back pocket. My neighbor is a manager at the horse track. Let me know when you're going and I'll see if she has any vouchers to give. If you guys like craft beer, do a brewery bar crawl in Dunedin. They've got a bunch within like a square mile of each other. Safety Harbor is a good spot near your airbnb for low key dinner and drinks. They have a festival on the 3rd Friday of every month though, but it sounds like that will be the weekend before you come.
Gasparilla is going to be a cat herding shit show for a bachelor party. Not your problem since you’re not the ringleader. Just have some drinks, enjoy the chaos, and don’t dress up as a pirate.
I’d consider buying tickets to one of the parties/tents along bayshore AYCD, enjoy the parade, and not stuck in the hoards of people on the streets
To add onto stuff posted today expect to pay an arm and a leg for an uber/lyft back to the airbnb, obviously with 2-3 other people in the car it becomes a whole lot more reasonable. Availability of ubers will suck but eventually you'll be able to find one.
but then you’re stuck there. I did this the last time I went to gasparilla, probably 8 years ago or so. Was nice, but also sucked I don’t ho anywhere near that shit show now. Kids parade is a much more enjoyable experience
Id rather be in a confined area with less people and AYCD than walk around with the drunk high schoolers
Team tent. However, we have a great private tent set up, and I’ve never done one of the more crowded party tents.
Anyone go to the children's parade? Weather was decent today unfortunately looking colder next Saturday
Next Saturday looks like the tail end of the cold front, so it will probably be elite weather to be outside in all day.
Don’t know where else to put this but I got in a wreck a month ago on 275. I was rear ended after a lightning game because of a slow down due to road work and my car was totaled. Had to look pretty much all over state for car due to low inventory here after the storms. I found a used one in Delray Beach that was a really good deal and went to pick it up today. Well I’m at a stop light on state road 60 near Lake Wales. It’s 7:00pm mind you. I’m checking my phone to see the score of the game since we’re all completely stopped. Some drunk mother fucker doesn’t stop and plows into the car two vehicles behind me. Airbags deploy, the car I’d driven off the lot about three hours prior is totaled. I passed out at scene from shock paramedics said. I’m fine, all scans and x-rays came back negative, and my dad is driving me home from hospital now. I’m pretty even keeled, sympathetic towards people that make mistakes. I’m first and foremost glad for my good string of health luck. But I’ve never been more angry at someone in my life. I hope this fuckface gets a lot of jail time and is buried financially. Two other people weren’t as fortunate and had to be evacuated by helicopter. Thanks for letting me vent. Fuck that piece of shit, hope the rest of his life is long and absolutely miserable in every possible fucking way. He put lives in danger and I’ve got no idea how bad the other two people are. I don’t give a shit about the car, I’ll find another. It’s just a machine.
That's terrible! But like you said, you still have your health despite the bad auto luck. Do you know the health outcome of the accident causer? I feel like you always hear stories of the drunk dirvers causing major accidents and coming out of it without a scratch.
No clue. I got out to check damage and see what the hell happened, after I checked out the back and saw the other cars I knew something was off so I leaned back against my car and that’s when I passed out. Things were a little fuzzy for a bit after that until the EMTs were checking on me and asked me if I wanted to go to hospital. Didn’t really get much info until talking with the medics in ambulance and the hospital nurses.
Glad you're ok. I'm sure you'll get all the info on the driver from your insurance and police report. Hopefully (for your case) they have good insurance coverage that will pay out well to you. TMB lawyer thread can probably give you some good general info on how to maximize your reimbursement. But considering you've already gone through it, you might already have all the info you need.
Thanks again for all the responses and a special shoutout to Hank Scorpio for getting us a hookup at the horse track on Friday. So apparently most of the crew is dressing up as pirates for this thing, except for me. If you see a gang of 17 drunken pirates and one visibly embarrassed guy in business casual then please save me and we can grab a beer.
There’s no actual plan. We have a party bus to pick us up and drop us off near the parade and then we meander about. Basically we will end up doing what everyone here said not to do.
Starting downtown tomorrow, will be a first for me we'll see how it goes. Stocked up and ready to go.
Bad news: I got sick as hell couldn’t make it. Im a few days into the steroids but still on the mend. I wouldn’t have survived had I gone. But I know they have had a good time so far. Went to the track today and, based on the preliminary plans, I think they’re putting some ladies through college right now.
Fuck that sucks it’s a hell of a time. Tell your friends to send you pictures of all the sluts dressed up, their heads will be on swivels all day.
Apparently half the group didn’t go to sleep and the bachelor sent my sister (bride to be) videos of them in the party bus in their pirate costumes and some of them are hammered drunk at 10:30am. How this whole thing sucks even more for me is that my wife is hosting my sisters bridal shower at our house this weekend for 40 women. So instead of me being drunk in Tampa, I’m now rearranging tables, picking up food and putting up balloons since I can’t hold the baby and get him sick. It fucking sucks.
Waiting in line for bathroom, back in the day when me and my buddy played poker at hard rock we had a standing agreeing if either of us hit bad beat jackpot we’d pay for the spaceship. Still have never been there.
I’m also waiting for my big score on DraftKings next season in the NFL or a lotto win with one of the big jackpots to take my trip in the spaceship.
If you want to pick the perfect day to go to Busch Gardens the day of the Super Bowl is it. There was no one there. 5-10 minutes tops for all the roller coasters. Got there at 10 and left at 4 and got to do everything.
Do we have a favorite lunch spot by the airport? Meeting a friend coming into town for lunch on Saturday. Feel like it's chain central in that area. was thinking something like Whiskey Cake or Rocco's Tacos at the mall unless someone has a better recommendation.
I think Rocco’s is overrated as hell. I’ve only been twice but I loved Doc Bs both times I went. Whiskey Cake is always solid.
in a city with mostly bad Mexican food, Rocco’s edges Miguel’s in the average and overpriced category.
Never been to Doc B's but it looks solid. I also always forget that Midtown exists. Didn't realize a BellaBrava opened up there. As Italian goes, they've been dependably good imo.