Gasparilla Invasion free things to do in Tampa Bay

Where to park for the Children’s Gasparilla and Pirate Fest parades

By Last Updated

Gasparilla is here, and in order to party with the pirates, you'll need to find the perfect place to park.

First, let's go over the details. The Ashley Children's Gasparilla presented by Chick-fil-A is on January 24, 206 with festivities kicking off at noon and the parade stepping off at 4 pm.  Gasparilla Pirate Fest will be held on January 31, 2026.

As you make your way toward South Tampa on parade day, plan to leave early since you'll encounter a lot of traffic due to the numerous road closures and the event itself. Tampa Police and the city do a good job of directing you on where to go–they have several decades of doing this under their belts, so it's pretty much down to a science now.

The key is to plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to get there. No matter how close you live, it will definitely take you extra time to get to the parade route.

Even though the Invasion and Parade of Pirates are at two different times and have different viewing spots, your best bet is to park early and stay put. Traffic only gets worse throughout the day, and it will probably be faster to walk. If you do plan on attending both, look for a spot in between both events for easy proximity to each.

Whatever you do, DO NOT park in the neighborhoods along the parade route. Tampa Police will enforce this strict no-parking zone, and you WILL get towed.

Best spots to park near the start of the Gasparilla Parade routes

One of our favorite places to park near the start of the parade route is at one of the nearby schools, which charges for parking on parade day as a way to raise money for the school, so it's a win-win! You get a great parking spot while supporting a local school.

The Children's Gasparilla and Gasparilla Pirate Fest parades both step off at Bayshore and Bay to Bay.

For the Children's parade, we have parked at Bayshore Christian and at the Academy of the Holy Names over the years; both are on MacDill Avenue. It's not too long of a walk to get to the parade route, and you can avoid some of the busier downtown traffic.

The Academy of Holy Names was pre-selling parking spots for the Gasparilla Children's parade.  Bayshore Christian also has a pre-sale of parking spots. 

You might also find other local businesses and homeowners opening their lots for paid parking. We do not recommend parking at one of the shopping centers near the parade route — you might get towed on parade day, and who wants to deal with that?

Just remember to designate a driver before the day begins! Police will be out in full force!

Parking garages open during the Children's Gasparilla:

  • Pam Iorio Parking Garage (S. Florida Ave & Channelside Dr.) o 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. -$15 / 2 pm – 9 pm: $35
  • Tampa Convention Center Garage (Tampa St. & Brorein St.) o 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. -$15 / 4 pm – 9 pm: $25
  • Fort Brooke Garage (Whiting St. between Franklin St. & Florida Ave.) o 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. -$15
  • Whiting St. Garage (N. Morgan St.) o 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. -$15 / 4 pm – 9 pm: $25
  • Selmon Expressway Downtown parking lots open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. -$15 / 4 pm – 9 pm: $25
  • On-street parking meters will be enforced from 8:00 a.m. until midnight

To get from the downtown garages to the parade route, hop on the Jolley Roger Trolley, which will run on a continuous loop, as it picks up and drops off event attendees at the intersections of both Platt St. and Bayshore Blvd., as well as Bay-to-Bay Blvd. and Bayshore Blvd. The trolley will run from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The trolley is free to ride!

Best parking garages open during Gasparilla Pirate Fest:

If you’d rather not deal with looking for a parking spot near the start of the parade route, plan to park in the recommended parking garages and lots in downtown Tampa. The garages are available for a $30 event fee.

Parking Availability:

  • Tampa Convention Center Garage: 6 am-10 pm: $30
  • Pam Iorio Garage: open 6 am-10 pm: $30
  • Whiting Garage: open 6 am-10 pm: $30
  •  Fort Brooke Garage (Whiting St. between Franklin St. & Florida Ave.): 6 am-10 pm: $30
  • Selmon Expressway Lots: open 6 am-10 pm: $30
  • Royal Regional Lot (Tampa St and Fortune St): 6 am-6 pm: $30
  • Scott Street Lot (Morgan St and Scott St): open 6 am-6 pm: $30
  • Poe Garage (N Ashley Dr and W Cass St): 6 am-6 pm: $30
  • Twiggs Street Garage (Twiggs St, west of Nebraska Ave): open 8 am-6 pm: $25
  • Centro Ybor Garage (5th Ave and 15th St): open 10 am-6 pm: $20
  • Palm Ave Garage ( 13th St and 9th Ave) – open 10 am-6 pm: $20

The FREE TECO Line Streetcar service typically runs between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m., and the FREE HART bus shuttle service usually runs between 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. for transport between Ybor and Downtown Tampa.

You can check out the City of Tampa's  2026 Parking Bulletin here. You can also check out road closures and detours here.