Gasparilla Guide 2023: Everything You Need To Know

  I t's that time of year! Gasparilla season. The pirates have taken over.  Me and another pirate, 2017 Another year has come and that means it's time for another season of Gasparilla. Lets get some of the more important questions out of the way real quick: How much does it cost? Nothing. Gasparilla is a free event. They do offer paid upgrades, but the parade itself is free. Where is it? The Children's parade and Day parade are off of Bayshore Ave in South Tampa into the Channel District in Downtown Tampa. The Knight Parade is on 7th Ave in Ybor City. Where do we park? I've found that the easiest place to park is the parking garages in Ybor. They offer parking + a bus into Downtown for a reasonable price (note: This has not been announced for 2023 as of now. This will change as the event draws nearer.).  You can also park on neighborhood streets. You'll get a few individuals who will try to scare you away. Keep in mind that they do not own the road and you are free

Humane Society Tampa: Adopt Today

Looking to add a member to your family? Why not adopt?

Humane Society, 2017

In 1912, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay was established and, by 1929, the animal shelter was opened. The facilities that you're currently familiar with opened in the 70's. In the 80's, kennels were added for animals to now stay in until adopted. In 2000, the animal clinic was opened, offering low cost surgeries for pets in need. In 2004, the Humane Society dedicated its shelter as a no kill shelter, ensuring that no animal in its care would needlessly be put down. And, since 2008, the Humane Society has offered various affordable pet medical services. 

He wouldn't stop moving, 2017

I'll have to apologize, this will be a cat heavy blog. I couldn't get decent pictures of their dogs. Shame too, they had some cuties. We'll start with the one thing the Humane Society is known for: Adoptions. I'm not even going to try to list all of the different PRICES for the animals, so I'll let you click that link and figure it out for yourself. They offer puppies, adult dogs, kittens, adult cats, rabbits, small pets, and the last time I was there, a pig (Yes, his name was Pig Newton). All their animals are up for adoption and awaiting a new forever home. The biggest advantage to adopting from the Humane Society (besides shutting down puppy mills) is that all of their animals come spayed or neutered AND come with all of their updated shots. Your new fur baby will be in the best health they can possible be in.

Despite the look on their face, they were very friendly!, 2017

Outside of adoptions, the Humane Society offers up a discount clinic. The downside to the clinic is that it fills up quickly. The upside is that the clinic offers up surgeries and procedures that your pet needs at a fraction of the cost of a typical animal hospital. You know your pet is in good hands, and you know that the surgeon knows what they're doing. The Humane Society also offers the feral cat catch and release program, where you bring in a feral cat, the Humane Society will neuter the cat, then release it back into the wild, allowing those cats to live the life they've grown up knowing as well as to ensure that no other feral cats are brought into this world. 

Good luck getting close to this one, 2017

Unfortunately, saving animals costs money. In the case of the Humane Society, just housing the animals every week costs upwards of $50,000. They are also a non profit organization, meaning that the funding for these animals mainly comes from donations. If you fancy yourself a lover of pets, I highly encourage you to check out their donation page HERE. Their animals can always use bags of food and toys also. And, if you have some free time, they can use some volunteers.

They like to play, 2017

Have you adopted a pet from the Humane Society? Which kitty picture above was your favorite? Leave a comment below. If you'd like more information on Tampa, check out my YouTube Channel and if you'd like to support my efforts, don't hesitate to buy a shirt from our Spreadshirt (New designs!!). Also, don't be afraid to click subscribe and you'll instantly be notified whenever a new entry is posted. If you'd like to meet other people who love Tampa, consider joining our Facebook Group. Thank you all and I will see you next time!

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