Remembering the early years of Gasparilla

With so much negativity surrounding Gasparilla, I’d like to take a moment to show everyone a side of Gasparilla they probably take for granted.

This is Gasparilla, as it appeared in 1925. Eighty three years ago, before drunks puked on your lawns and police blocked off the streets to keep the riots at bay, there was a sense of unity over the pirate invasion. Cars lined the streets while people stood by and watched the pirate ship come in. It was a different time and place, but it was reflective of the world these people lived in.

If you don’t like Gasparilla, don’t go. Less people would make it easier for those of us who want to be in the thick of it to enjoy the festivities. If you don’t like people destroying your lawns one day a year, convince the Krewes to have the parade moved to another water-front area. Why not channelside? or along Kennedy?

Gasparilla is here to stay. It’s a long established tradition that has turned into an emulsion of drunks, hookers, stupidity and violence. The answer to this is not to end the celebration. The answer is to control and relocate the attendees to a more industrial or commercial venue where the damage can be minimized.

Until that day, take a look at the photo above and consider what Gasparilla once was. I find it difficult to hate something with such a deep seated history and tradition of social responsibility that has only recently become a problem.

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