Does Gasparilla Have A Negative Effect On Tampa?
There’s no question that Gasparilla has a crazy effect on Tampa. An estimated 300,000 people invaded the streets of South Tampa to celebrate the pirate festival over the weekend. With approximately $40 million of business coming in, there’s no doubt the invasion has a positive financial effect, but many are wondering about the negative effect it has on the city.
History
According to the Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the festival began in 1904 when the society editor of the Tampa Tribune and an official with the federal government in Tampa, conspired to promote the City of Tampa and its May Day celebration. The first Krewe arrived on horseback and “captured the city” during the Festival Parade on May 4th with costumes rented from New Orleans. Ever since then, Gasparilla has been celebrated every year with only ten exceptions since that infamous first invasion.
Marine Life Impact
As much fun as the parade is, the aftermath and clean-up of the bay had concerned law enforcement agencies and environmental groups in Tampa. Even though throwing beads into the water is a violation, thousands still manage to make their way in throughout the festival. This is especially harmful to the marine life. According to the city’s Department of Solid Waste & Environmental Program Management, beads take thousands of years to break down into microplastics, which still never really decompose.
Crime
There has always been the urban legend that crime rises during Gasparilla. One would think so with 300,000 people attending these events, but it is actually far from the case. A total of 26 Gasparilla arrests were made during the parade this past Saturday. Now if you compare that to the number of people attending the festivities, that’s only .009% of people committing crimes. Not too shabby if you ask me.
Solutions
The City of Tampa is however doing its best to combat these problems. Volunteers are encouraged to collect beads and donate to the MacDonald Training Center. This non-profit helps people living with disabilities by taking the beads, cleaning them, and selling them to reuse them for future events. Over the past few years, the Bead Reuse Program has helped keep 10,000 pounds worth of beads out of Tampa’s waterways. Local businesses are also doing their best to give incentives to volunteers like Fresh Kitchen and the Florida Aquarium. While Fresh Kitchen encourages the city to help keep its waterway clean, the Florida Aquarium offers a 50% discount on admission to help keep our city clean.
Do you believe Gasparilla is a problem to the city of Tampa?