As we head into the holiday season I am looking forward to a little time off and some great football. Some of the biggest games that will happen are being held right here in Tampa. The Tampa Bay area will be featured nationally and internationally in Outback Bowl on January 1st and in the Super Bowl on February 1st.
The University of Iowa and the University of South Carolina will meet in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day in Tampa, Florida. The No. 26 Hawkeyes will face the Gamecocks for the first time in history. There will be a FULL schedule of events starting on December 26th through game day.
The Super Bowl festivities will start 2 weeks prior to the game and get into full swing with the opening of the NFL Experience on January 24th. The NFL Experience features more than 50 interactive games and attractions as well as special programming including free football clinics, autograph sessions, the largest football card show ever and NFL Coaches Chats, during which NFL coaches give an inside look into the game of football. The Gasparilla Extravaganza will also run on the 24th and welcome the return of the Gasparilla Pirate season in Tampa Bay! The event features the Children's Gasparilla Parade and the "Piratechnic" Extravaganza, one of the largest fireworks presentations in the country.
And while a good portion of the United States will still be feeling the cold and snow, the weekend after the Super Bowl Tampa will be "invaded" by the legendary pirate, Jose Gaspar, and his band of marauding buccaneers as they return to Tampa to reenact the historic pirate invasion, which began in 1904. Amidst a volley of cannon fire, the City is defenseless as the Jose Gasparilla docks at the Tampa Convention Center at 1 p.m. The Mayor surrenders the Key to the City of Tampa into the hands of the Captain of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla at approximately 1:05 p.m. And, following another successful invasion of Tampa, the Pirates gather on Bayshore Boulevard for a victory parade, which begins at 2:00 p.m. at Bay to Bay and Bayshore. The 2009 Gasparilla Pirate Fest Street Festival features live entertainment, food, thrilling rides, fun games and amusements for all ages. The Pirate Festival will be located in Downtown Tampa between Kennedy Blvd and Channelside Drive. The Gasparilla Parade in Tampa is the largest parade in the bay area. With over 500,000 people spanning the 3.5 mile parade route it is one of Florida's largest parades.
All of this in January and February! Is it any wonder why Tampa is fast becoming one of the best cities to live?! Football, Hockey, Baseball, Spring Training, College Sports, Theater, Concerts, The Hard Rock Casino, Parks, Bike Trails, Boating, Beaches, Shopping, World Class Restaurants...........AND some of the nicest real estate in Florida.
