The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is a large parade and a host of related community events held in Tampa, Florida almost every year since 1904. The theme of the festivities is a friendly invasion by the mythical pirate José Gaspar (also known as Gasparilla), who is a popular figure in Florida folklore even though there is no evidence that he actually existed. The centerpiece of Gasparilla is the Parade of Pirates (often referred to as the Gasparilla Parade), which is held on the last Saturday in January and is organized by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (YMKG), a local organization modeled after the "krewes" of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. On Gasparilla Day, members of YMKG sail across Tampa Bay aboard the Jose Gasparilla, a specially built 165-foot-long (50 m) "pirate ship" equipped with loud m