As legend has it, the pirate, Jose Gaspar, who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the late 18th and early 19th century, often called himself "Gasparilla." To keep the legend alive, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla sail into Tampa Bay with much pageantry to invade and capture the city. Afterwards, Jose Gaspar and his band of pirates take over the city with a parade down Bayshore Boulevard and celebrate in the streets of downtown.
