The Gasparilla Knight Parade was held on Valentine’s Day in Centro de Ybor and hosted by the master of ceremonies, Jerry Springer, who was also at Gasparilla last year. To coincide with the merging of Valentine’s Day and Gasparilla, Jerry and his wife of 40 years, Micki Velton, held hands as a “renewal of vows” ceremony took place. After the vow renewal, Jerry lightened up the mood by poking fun at himself, and his blissful celebration. One man yelled out “but I am single,” prompting Springer to ask the man why he was even at the event, causing everyone to laugh.

  Within a couple of hours of the parade starting, Ybor City’s Seventh Avenue resembled Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. This being a far cry from the earlier Gasparilla parades on Bayshore Boulevard.

  One of the floats on the parade route was the HCC Ybor float, which held several representatives and SGA members from the school this year. The parade draws in locals from the Bay Area and even hosts guests from all over Florida and around the world. European tourists appreciated the Cuban influence of Ybor City, Tampa’s Latin Quarter, and the access to balconies along the parade route allowed a better view for everyone.

  The parade went on through the night, and cops showed up to disperse some of the crowd. However, with the large number of intoxicated people, the police did not put much of a stop to the madness. Gaspar’s Grotto, which is 3 bars in one, including one in the middle which is indoors, across from Carmines, was in full celebration, with their bartenders and hostesses dressed as pirates. It was an event which is part of the Tampa culture that students should not miss.