HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — On February 11, the largest illuminated night parade in the South comes to Ybor City.
This weekend, the streets of Ybor will come alive with parade floats and music for the 48th Sant' Yago Knight Parade.
Around 7 p.m., the parade begins on Seventh Avenue in Ybor City.
"Man, have you seen it? Look around. This is why we're out here. We love it. My god! We love the Knight of Sant' Yago. We love the parade. We love the other crews. Hey, who wouldn't want to be here?" Latrenia Byrant, attending the parade, said.
Ybor, which was founded in 1885, was once recognized as the world's cigar capital, attracting immigrants from Cuba, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
"I'm a Tampa native. I'm a third-generation Tampa native. I'm of Hispanic heritage. My father was born in Ybor City and my grandma rolled cigars in a cigar factory, so I'm serving as the Latin American fiesta queen this year," Michele Prado, attending the parade, said.
It struggled following the Great Depression, but nightclubs sparked a new entertainment sector in the 1980s and 1990s, and more businesses are now moving in.
The Knight Parade will feature more than 100 groups, including local government leaders and dignitaries, as well as several of Tampa Bay's krewes.
"We're celebrating Ybor's Latin heritage. That's what our Krewe is about. We have 250 guys in our crew and we all look forward to it every year. We just have a great time coming out, hanging out shaking hands, you know seeing all of our friends so it's a great time," John Paul Lebel, also attending the parade, said.
The Knight procession is one of almost 100 annual events that highlight the ancient city.
"We're all family here. We're all family. That's why we're here to come out and support each other," Byrant added.
