The 2009 Children’s Gasparilla Parade will feature 129 units including: eight (8) dance teams, over 80 themed floats, 52 krewes and four (4) marching bands.  Plans call for the Children’s Gasparilla Parade to be “streamed” live on http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/, plus FOX 13 will broadcast “highlights” of the parade during their 6p.m. news on January 24, 2009. The Gasparilla Air Invasion will have two components, the Day Flight, featuring Bill Leff Airshows North American T-6 and a spectacular parachute demonstration from high above Hillsboro Bay as the United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team lands on Bayshore near Howard, and the Night Flight, featuring Bill Leff’s Starfire Night Skyshow, a one-of-a-kind pyrotechnic aerobatic performance. The “Piratechnic” Extravaganza will be telecast live from Bayshore Boulevard Saturday evening at 7 p.m. on FOX13.

The Gasparilla Extravaganza will operate two continuous shuttle routes from 8a.m. to 10p.m.  The shuttle will pick up at two locations, the South Regional Garage, at the corner of Florida Avenue and Channelside Drive, and the Fort Brooke Garage, at the corner of Franklin and Whiting Street.  The shuttle will deliver to two areas along Bayshore Boulevard, near the beginning of the parade route at Bay to Bay Blvd. and the Crosstown OR at Watrous Ave. and Rome near the end of the parade route. Cost is $5 per adult, children accompanied by an adult ride for free.

For additional information or to purchase Gasparilla Extravaganza, bleacher seating tickets and merchandise, please log onto http://www.gasparillaextravaganza.com/ and click on the “Tickets ‘n’ Treasures” link to be directed to the shopping cart.  Tickets can also be ordered over the phone by calling EventFest’s Gasparilla Ticket Line at (813) 251-8844.  A ticket representative will be available between 9a.m. and 5p.m., Monday – Friday.  Gasparilla reserved bleacher seating tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis.  Due to an expected “super” demand for reserved seating, we encourage the public to purchase their tickets early.

Event sponsors as of the date of this release include: 

FOX 13, Coca-Cola, The Tampa Tribune, City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, Hyatt Regency Tampa and Clear Channel Radio Stations including: WBTP-FM 95.7 The Beat, WFLZ-FM 93.3 FLZ, WFUS-FM US 103.5, WMTX-FM MIX 100.7.

The Gasparilla Extravaganza is managed, marketed and produced annually by EventFest, Inc. in Tampa. 

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