By Natalie Soldatova
The uniquely-Floridian Gasparilla holiday is always a time of huge celebration, including a boat parade and pirate invasion of the bay. The Pirate Fest happens every January, and fills the weekend with exciting activities. Many people come to Tampa from different parts of Florida, and other states, to experience the third-largest parade in the United States.
During the day of Gasparilla, the streets are packed and busy with people watching the parade, especially in Downtown Tampa and on Bayshore Blvd. As an international student, the first time I heard about Gasparilla was during my freshman year in 2020, but I have never seen the parade in person, so this year will be the first time for me.
One of the things that I noticed is everyone is always excited about trying to get as many beads as possible from the parade. Gasparilla beads are the tradition of the parade. It is what the pirates are throwing to the crowd to celebrate the capture of the city.
Even though the beads are the symbol of the parade and everyone wants to have one as a memory, the city of Tampa is dealing with hundreds of pounds of beads that have been found in the water over the last few years. As much fun as the parade is, the aftermath and clean-up of the bay is what concerns the law enforcement agencies and environmental groups.
According to the Florida Aquarium, the problem is that the beads that are left around the city won’t decompose and have to be cleaned up. Throwing the beads into water is also a violation.
The city of Tampa is encouraging people to be respectful and make sure to keep the environment clean and not leave the beads laying around. There are many ways the attendees and others can help to clean up after the parade.
Fresh Kitchen posted on their Instagram account that if people bring their Gasparilla beads, they will be donated to MacDonald Training Center and their bead reuse program. The Florida Aquarium is also offering 50 percent discount admission if people donate the beads after the parade.
I think these are great ways to use the beads that were left on the street for a good cause and protect the environment, as well as motivate people to not leave a mess and help protect the environment all together.
Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful also promotes volunteer opportunities to clean the beads and other litter from the streets after the parade. This year it will be their 13th annual cleanup after Gasparilla. Many volunteers participate each year, with about 5,000 pounds being gathered.
Gasparilla is a great event full of activities that everyone is looking forward to each year. I believe that this year’s parade will be another great event for many, but it is important to remember to stay safe and keep protecting the Tampa Bay community and its environment during and after the parade.
