What's Tampa Bay Saying?

Mama Guava Stumble Returns to Guavaween: Good Idea?

Organizers of the annual Halloween-time celebration have announced the parade will return to the lineup this year. Do you think this is a good idea, Tampa Bay?

Costumed revelers will once again return to the streets of Ybor City when this year’s Guavaween festivities get under way. The Ybor City Chamber of Commerce announced the return of the boisterous Mama Guava Stumble Parade earlier this week, The Tampa Tribune reported. The annual parade, known for its large, costumed and often drunken crowds, was canceled last year in favor of a music festival. A lack of funding for the event was to blame, CBS reported at the time. The parade has a reputation for rowdiness. During the 2010 event, 14 kids were arrested for underage drinking, there were 25 misdemeanor arrests and two felony arrests, according to Bay News 9. The annual event draws an about 250,000 people from all over the Tampa Bay area, …

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Patch Minute: Gasparilla Pirate Fest

What's going on in New Tampa and beyond? Check out this Patch Minute for weekend event suggestions.

The 109th Gasparilla Pirate Festival is coming up this weekend, and Don Barnes, executive officer for Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, is ready. In a warehouse in downtown Tampa, pirate floats and convertibles for dignitaries are just waiting to saunter down the parade route for an expected audience of more than 200,000 people. “We’ve been doing this for 109 years, and our goal is to make sure it goes on for another 109 years,” said Barnes, who spends the whole year planning for the annual event. The way to reach that goal is to focus on safety. “We’ve really been pushing for what we call ‘Responsibility Matters,’ ” he said. “Responsibility Matters” is an educational campaign that aims to stop underage drinking. It’s a concerted effort that …

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