Citing Covid-19 concerns, organizers cancel Knight Parade
February 18, 2021 - First it was the pirate invasion and Bayshore Boulevard parades. Now another Gasparilla season tradition — the Knight Parade in Ybor City — has been mothballed until at least 2022 because of the Covid-19 crisis. The Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago, which organizes the Knight Parade, said this week that the 2021 parade will not go forward as scheduled, and instead the group will focus on next year’s event, set for Saturday, Feb. 12. “We’ve worked closely with the City of Tampa and the parade’s presenting sponsor MOR-TV to assess the potential health risks to the community,” stated Ken Willis, Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago member and 2021 parade chairman, in a news release. “Our board of directors has decided it’s best for our community to cancel this year’s parade, and plan to celebrate safely in 2022.”