Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Founded in 1904, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, or YMKG, is Tampa, Florida's oldest and most prestigious krewe, or social organization. Each January, YMKG sponsors a festival called the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in Tampa re-enacting a pirate invasion of the city. The mock invasion begins with the Pirates sailing into Tampa Bay on a full scale pirate ship, accepting the surrender of Tampa from the mayor and culminates in a parade that is attended by approximately 450,000 people. YMKG's members dress like pirates in honor of the Krewe's namesake, Jose Gaspar, a mythical pirate who supposedly cruised the Gulf Coast of Florida during the 18th and 19th centuries.