TAMPA, Fla. — A sea of floats lit up the street to kick off the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago Knight Parade on Saturday night.
“I’m hoping to see fun, good action,” said Brittney Robinson.
Though the parade didn’t start until Saturday evening, some people claimed their spots along the route hours early.
“We set up our chairs, so maybe like 2:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.-ish,” said Olivia Alba.
The fleet of floats, dignitaries, and marching bands rolled down 7th Avenue in Ybor City, throwing beads to cheering fans.
“Originally, the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce in 1972, they did it for years, and in 1974, they asked if the Krewe of Sant' Yago would take it over, and we did that then, and we’ve continued it ever since,” said Jerry Zielinski, the Baron of the Krewe of the Knights of Sant' Yago. “It’s just become a tradition here in Ybor City.”
Zielinski said it’s a big undertaking.
“Our entire Krewe does it. We don’t source anything out, so all of our members worked to put this together, and it’s an all-year process to prepare for it,” said Zielinski.
Law enforcement was out in full force, too.
Tampa Police had officers on horseback, on bikes, on foot, in plain clothes, and with drones overhead, making sure the crowd felt safe and secure.
“Every year for all of our parades, we do a tabletop exercise, and after every parade, we do a debrief and make adjustments, and whatever happens in the world, we look at our parades and make necessary adjustments,” said TPD Chief Lee Bercaw.
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