“This is our social time where we get our name and word out,” says Minesh Patel, the founder and president of the krewe. Nautilus member Jim Lee keeps the significance of the event in the forefront of his mind. “I like the fact it’s not just doing parade. It combines a lot of interests. It isn’t just hey, let’s go party. We do something and then our reward is a party.”

The Krewe members dress up as submariners, in costumes authentic to the time period, and their float is decorated to look like the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, complete with a red giant squid squeezing the life out of the vessel.  Unlike the Nautilus of fiction, the squid blares the music of Nelly and Jason Mraz at revelers busying themselves with mingling, drinking beers and eating buffet tacos while they wait for the parade to begin.

Throughout the year, the Krewe is involved in three coastal clean-ups and holds their annual “Quest for Hope: The Ultimate Tampa Bay Scavenger Challenge” in May which raises money to provide educational programs at the Aquarium as well as summer camp programs for the Children’s Cancer Center. “It’s a lot of fun and games.” says Tracy Mills, “but it’s a big production,” adds Matt Cherry. A big production, but a rewarding one.

Gasparilla began in 1904, to commemorate the attack of Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar on the city of Tampa. “This is our social time where we get our name and word out,” says Minesh Patel, the founder and president of the krewe. Nautilus member Jim Lee keeps the significance of the event in the forefront of his mind. “I like the fact it’s not just doing parade. It combines a lot of interests. It isn’t just hey, let’s go party. We do something and then our reward is a party.”
The Krewe members dress up as submariners, in costumes authentic to the time period, and their float is decorated to look like the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, complete with a red giant squid squeezing the life out of the vessel.  Unlike the Nautilus of fiction, the squid blares the music of Nelly and Jason Mraz at revelers busying themselves with mingling, drinking beers and eating buffet tacos while they wait for the parade to begin.

Throughout the year, the Krewe is involved in three coastal clean-ups and holds their annual “Quest for Hope: The Ultimate Tampa Bay Scavenger Challenge” in May which raises money to provide educational programs at the Aquarium as well as summer camp programs for the Children’s Cancer Center. “It’s a lot of fun and games.” says Tracy Mills, “but it’s a big production,” adds Matt Cherry. A big production, but a rewarding one.

Gasparilla began in 1904, to commemorate the attack of Spanish pirate Jose Gaspar on the city of Tampa. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose name is homage to the area’s rich and interesting pirate history, had a float to celebrate this tradition as well. whose name is homage to the area’s rich and interesting pirate history, had a float to celebrate this tradition as well.