Knight Parade of the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago

The Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago held their 2014 Knight Parade right down the main street (7^th Avenue) of Ybor City on Saturday night, February 8^th.
The Knight Parade, follows Tampa’s annual Gasparilla celebration, and turns the pirates loose in historic Ybor City for one night as a colorful celebration of civic pride, beaming with illuminated floats, costumed participants, plenty of music, dancing in the streets, and lots and lots of beads. The Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago has hosted the parade every year since 1974, and it is considered the largest of its kind in the Southeast.
The famous Knight Parade attracts over 200,000 spectators and participants each year who brave the chilly February weather, and have a great time lining the parade route through the middle of Ybor City. The parade actually starts at Nuccio Parkway and ends at 22^nd Avenue, just past the Columbia restaurant. Spectators line both sides of the street, and stand on overhead balconies to cheer as the floats and marching bands pass by – hoping to catch a strand of beads or some official pirate booty from the costumed participants.
The raucous pirates and well-​lubricated spectators keep the action at a fever pitch, and Tampa’s finest are on hand to make sure that nothing gets out of control. All of the Ybor City restaurants and nightclubs are open, but no alcohol is permitted out on the street, so expect to see people ducking in and out of their favorite watering holes throughout the night.
The Knight Parade is a very fun event though it is more Adult-​friendly than the other Gasparilla parades, so please plan accordingly. In the immortal words of Joe Bob, «No beer, no boobs, but lotsa beads!» It is a great time, and a rich part of Tampa’s history and culture.