TAMPA, Fla. — The Gasparilla Pirate Invasion is Saturday, Jan. 27, and the event has really evolved over the past century into what it is today.
To get a better idea of what Gasparilla has looked like over the last century, ABC Action News went to the Henry B. Plant Museum on the University of Tampa campus.
Daniel Carpenter is the Museum Relations Manager and the guide through history.
“The very first Gasparilla took place in 1904 at the Tampa Bay Hotel, which is now Plant Hall, part of the University of Tampa,” said Carpenter.
The pictures from the first Gasparilla show everyone on horseback.
“There was a parade [in 1904]. In 1905, motorcars were introduced, and then in 1911, the pirate ship and boats started to become what we know of them today,” said Carpenter.
“There are a couple of years that are really noteworthy. One of which is 1924 because that year had an Egyptian theme. It was in response to King Tut’s tomb being discovered. The fever had swept the globe,” said Carpenter.
Jewels, crowns and gowns are some of the many items on display in the museum.
“This was a Gasparilla gown designed by internationally recognized fashion designer Ann Lowe. This is a gown she designed in 1957. By this point, she is famous because a few years earlier, she designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding gown,” said Carpenter. “What I love looking at those pictures from the 40s and 50s is seeing how differently people were dressed then compared to how they are dressed now.”
And what's one thing Tampa residents might now know about Gasparilla?
“The fact that when it first started, it was a Mayday celebration. It was a way to kind of kick off the Summer,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter said Gasparilla was later moved to a Monday in February, and now it's a Saturday in January. Gasparilla is uniquely Tampa and a celebration that truly makes our city stand out from the rest.
The Gasparilla exhibit at the Henry B. Plant Museum is open through March 3. It's closed on Saturday, Jan. 27, for Gasparilla.
