Tampa’s Gasparilla Music Festival Announces SPRING 2015 Dates - Festival Weekend March 7 & 8

TAMPA, Fla. - Dec. 4, 2014 - PRLog -- “For the third straight year, the Gasparilla Music Festival showcased the best of Tampa music, food and culture for a demographer’s dream of a crowd – the young and the old, hipsters and hippies, artists and young professionals, all enjoying a laid-back yet lively afternoon hang.”

-Jay Cridlin, Tampa Bay Times

Tampa, FL - December 4, 2014,

There’s a dynamic festival emerging into the vibrant live music scene,

The Gasparilla Music Festival. This event kicks off the highly anticipated spring break & outdoor music festival season on March 7 & 8th in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Garden in the heart of downtown Tampa, Florida.

Now in its fourth year, the festival promises to be bigger and better than ever.  Past performers have included The Flaming Lips, Trombone Shorty, Jason Isbell, Rebirth Brass Band, Deer Tick, Best Coast, Dawes, Ozomatli among many others. There truly is something for everyone at the GMF. A wide array of performers spanning musical genres from punk to jazz will be featured on four stages. There will also be an extensive children's area with activities and music, including a ‘musical petting zoo’ where kids of all ages can experience the excitement of seeing and creating live music. Tibbetts’ Corner, the charming “handmade” vendors area, offers collectors the opportunity to shop for unique gift items, from purses created from upcycled LP’s to  hip & funky fashions, and much more. Festival goers in need of refreshment will encounter an array of beverages including award-winning local craft beers and, of course, local cuisine from the Tampa Bay Area’s top culinary purveyors; from world famous Cuban sandwiches to delectable vegan delights, no one will go home hungry.

The performance stages are nestled in the cultural playground of downtown Tampa in betwixt the Tampa Museum of Art and FMoPA (Florida Museum of Photographic Arts). This grand venue is just across the river from the historical Henry Plant Hotel, now part of the University of Tampa. There is not a more picturesque and unique location for a music festival.  The GMF takes place amidst the several months long legendary Gasparilla celebrations that make Tampa a top destination for revelers of all ages.

"The month of March in Florida can't be beat! Each year we have more attendees coming down to enjoy their spring break and kickoff the music festival season,” said Ty Rodriguez, GMF’s Executive Director.  "Last year we had folks from over 30 different states come help us celebrate - this year we hope to have all 50 represented!”

The Gasparilla Music Festival is a festival with a heart - with part of its mission, to support and promote music and education.  The GMF organization is involved throughout the year in several initiatives: including their “Recycled Tunes”  program which collects used musical instruments to refurbish and donate to schools, providing scholarships to music students.  The GMF also supplies financial and mentoring assistance to other non-profits and rallies to promote transportation alternatives. The festival aims to not only entertain but to engage the shared, powerful experience of live music to help sustain, inspire and encourage a stronger sense of community.

What exactly is Gasparilla? – It’s not a “what” but rather, a “who”!  The Gasparilla Carnival owes its origins to the legendary and potentially mythical Spanish Pirate, Jose Gaspar - "last of the Buccaneers," who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the late 18th and early 19th century. He was a young Spanish aristocrat-turned-pirate who ended his adventurous life with a storied invasion of the Bay of Tampa. In 1904, his legend was resurrected as part of a city wide celebration and the festival has grown massively in the century it has been held, showing no signs of slowing down.
The Gasparilla celebration kicks off in January with various events including a juried Art Festival, Movie Festival, a road race and several parades by foot, float and boat.  Think of Gasparilla as a tropical Mardi Gras and of course, much like Jazz Fest in New Orleans, the highlight of the Gasparilla Season is the weekend long Gasparilla Music Festival taking place March 7 & 8, 2015.

Tickets are on sale now.
Early Bird - 2 Day admission is $40

VIP Packages start at $150

Headliners to be announced shortly.


For more information, requests, media passes & more please contact:

MAD Ink PR


Melissa Dragich-Cordero          Michelle Gutenstein

p. 310.547.1212          p. 862-368-6576

e. melissadragich@gmail.com          e. michelle.gutenstein@me.com

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More About Gasparilla Music Fest:

The Gasparilla Music Festival is a Florida 501(c)-3 non-profit corporation whose mission is to nurture and promote the cultural life of the Tampa Bay Area by presenting a spectacular range of inspiring musicians and performers across all genres that leads to music awareness, education and the continuance of the urban renewal of Tampa.

The Gasparilla Music Festival was founded in 2011 with financial support from several Tampa Bay area based businesses and the organization’s founding members, The Ring of Fire.