Gasparilla returns Saturday with children's parade, fireworks display

Display location:Tampa
City:Tampa
State:Florida
Date:Jan.23

Details: Grab your eye patches, kids! It's time for Tampa's annual parade of G-rated pirates.

Parents and children from across the Bay area are expected to converge on Bayshore Boulevard on Saturday for the Children's Gasparilla Extravaganza & Parade, which will feature plenty of family-friendly activities and lots of bead-dazzling.

The fun starts at noon with a free Bicycle Safety Rodeo, where children will be fitted with helmets and get a chance to ride a provided bike through a fun course. Participants even get to keep the helmets (while supplies last, or course).

For those who prefer to keep their eyes on the skies, the Gasparilla Air Invasions will rev up the crowd at noon and 3 p.m. Spectators will get a chance to see vintage aircraft and the U.S. Special Operations Command Parachute Team.

The Bay area's tiniest pirates will take to the streets from 2 to 3 p.m. for the Preschooler's Stroll, which also follows Bayshore Boulevard, starting at Bay to Bay Boulevard and ending at Howard Avenue.

The main parade, which starts at Bay to Bay and ends at Watrous Avenue, kicks aff at 3:30 p.m. and is expected to wrap up at 6 p.m.

For those who are staying up past their bedtimes anyway, there's another air show at 6:30 p.m., followed by a "Piratechnic" show from 7 to 7:30 p.m.

For information on the whole shebang, go to Keyword: Gasparilla.