Italian Club Members:
Krewe of Italia invites you and your family to join us for the Gasparilla Children’s Parade on Saturday, January 24th, 2026. Each paying adult is allowed 2 children.
As a reminder, YMKG & EventFest placed new restrictions on ALL Krewes. No guests are allowed for the Children's Parade or Gasparilla Parade however, they have made an exception for the Children's Parade to allow our Italian Club Members ONLY to join us for the parade.
INFORMATION
What you need to know for The Children's Parade:
We will be located on Bayshore Boulevard, Unite NO. 94. We will be between W. Harbor View Avenue & W. Lawn Avenue.
Please meet at the Italian Club on Saturday, January 24th @ 12:30 PM. The bus will leave promptly at 1:30 PM to head to staging on Bayshore Boulevard.
Bead Drop Off
New this year, YMKG parade planners are requesting that all Krewe's limit the amount of trash on the parade route. They are requesting that all bead preparation be done prior to arriving in staging. Bead drop-off is your time to go through your beads, discard any boxes and plastic bags leaving only beads attached to a belt or in some type of canvas bag or Buccaneer bag.
Our float is now located at Stepp's Towing - 5116 Shadowlawn Avenue. Stepp's Towing's official bead drop off days:
- Thursday, January 22, 2026 from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
- Friday, January 23, from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
WRISTBANDS/HOLD HARMLESS:
Everyone participating in the parade must have new Release/Hold Harmless forms signed. Required releases and wristbands for parade participation will be available and given prior to boarding the bus at the Italian Club. If you are using other transportation to the parade, it is your responsibility to coordinate obtaining wristbands and signing the required releases. For security purposes, no one without wristbands will be admitted into the controlled staging area. This is a Children's Gasparilla Parade rule and there will be no exceptions.
NON-KREWE MEMBER GUESTS:
Guests are welcome to attend if they are members of the Italian Club. The guest fee for non-krewe members is $50.00. Guests must register through our website and use this code 4JMYIQO7.
A guest fee covers one adult and up to 2 children. A limited number of these tickets are available.
COSTUMES:
Adult guests can wear red, white or green shirts with pants/jeans. We will have children's shirts available at the club prior to boarding the bus. If your child has a Krewe shirt from a prior event/parade, please wear and/or bring with you as our quantity and available sizes are limited.
HOW DO I GET THERE:
The Krewe will provide bus transportation to and from the parade through Assured Transportation. Information regarding busing to and from staging will be emailed early January 2026.
WHERE DO I PARK:
There is paid parking available behind Gaspar’s Grotto, behind the Italian Club and either of the two City parking garages. There will likely be event pricing for parking as well as time constraints. City parking and the parking garages will be the best option. City parking is behind Carmine’s and Zydeco. The closest parking garage is Centro Ybor, 1500 E. 5th Avenue. Please be aware of any parking charges as well as the length of time allotment permitted. We will not be returning to Ybor until 6:00PM or later. This is just an estimate and not a guarantee. If you are using alternate transportation, keep in mind that no private vehicles will be allowed into the staging area and if you are participating in the parade, you must be at the float no later than 2:00PM.
THE PARADE:
The Parade begins at 4:00 PM and will end at approximately 6:00PM.
BEADS:
The Krewe does not supply beads - you will need to bring your own beads and they must be unboxed and in bags.
FOOD AND DRINK:
Hot dogs, snacks, and water will be provided.
THIS IS AN ALCOHOL-FREE EVENT. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.
SAFETY:
For safety reasons, children under 2 are not allowed to participate. All minors will be required to ride the float during the parade along with their guardian parent/grandparent. It will be a long day, with loud music, people screaming, beads thrown (sometimes not so well), and weather may or may not be in our favor. Although this is a children’s parade, please consider your child's limits. All minors must stay on the float at all times during the parade route. For everyone's safety, no one may exit or board the moving float during the parade route.
DISCLAIMER CLAUSE PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY
BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CHILDREN'S GASPARILLA EXTRAVAGANZA PARADE WITH THE KREWE OF ITALIA, YOU GIVE UP IMPORTANT LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO SUE THE KREWE OF ITALIA.