Around this time of the month, everyone in Tampa is starting to get excited for Gasparilla. Driving around, you will notice that people have really started getting into the Gasparilla spirit by hanging up Gasparilla wreaths, pirate decorations, and you may even see a few skeletons.

During the Gasparilla season, Tampa hosts two parades and one festival. The Children’s Parade will be on January, 22. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival will be held on Jan. 29. And finally, The Gasparilla Music Festival will begin on Feb. 25 and end on the 27.

While the Gasparilla Parade is a tradition that has been upheld since the early 20th century, the Gasparilla Music Festival is quite new. The festival is put on by the Gasparilla Music Foundation which was just scented founded in 2011.

The music foundation is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to support music education. It does so through its “Recycled Tunes” program.

“The mission of Recycled Tunes is to enrich the lives of underserved and impoverished children in Tampa Bay by ensuring access to musical instruments,” as stated on the Gasparilla Music Foundation website.

The Gasparilla Music Festival will be held in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and will feature performances from a wide variety of performers along with food from some of Tampa’s top restaurants. Some of the festival’s headliners include: “Black Pumas,” “The Revivalists,” and “Trombone Shorty & New Orleans Ave.”

You can buy tickets from the official GMF website.

It’s a great place to hear great music and eat some delicious food all while supporting the worthwhile cause of promoting music education.