Parade Set Wednesday At 1 p.m. To Celebrate Bucs' Super Bowl Win

TAMPA, FL — What's left to do after winning a Super Bowl? Throw a parade, of course.

That's just what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plan to do Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Tampa.

Mayor Jane Castor announced that the boat parade, similar to the one held in September when the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, on the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa.

Spectators can watch from the Tampa Riverwalk, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Water Works Park and around Harbour Island, between Harbour Island and Davis Islands.

The Bucs are ready to show of the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Tampa Bay fans after winning the big game Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.

The city says the parade will be socially distanced, with mask rules enforced. And there will likely be more-stringent rules in place following the free-for-all on the streets of Tampa after the Super Bowl Sunday when excited fans gathered outside bars without wearing masks or social distancing.

In a news conference, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said an event like winning the Super Bowl can't pass without a parade.

"We can't have a historical event of this significance in our community and not celebrate," Castor said, adding, "We will do it in a safe manner."

While Castor said the majority of people celebrating the Bucs' win Sunday night followed the city's mandated coronavirus guidelines, which she extended to include the wearing of masks outdoors in designated entertainment areas, videos posted on social media showed not all fans complied in the excitement of the moment.

"I thank everyone who celebrated responsibly," said Castor.

She said that while media outlets have focused on the bad behavior of some people, those attending celebrations she observed following the game acted responsibly. "We had literally tens of thousands of people come out to share in the excitement of the Super Bowl win. And the majority of them did it very, very peacefully."

Tampa police and Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies were out in force to remind celebrants who ignored the coronavirus protocols.

Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said he was dismayed to see fans disregard protocols Friday night at a giant party at the WTR Tampa Pool and Grill at the Godfrey Waterfront Hotel featuring celebrity DJ Steve Akoi and was prepared to make sure the behavior wasn't repeated.

“Scenes from WTR last night and a few other clubs were incredibly disappointing," he said. "The city spent the better part of a year educating residents on precautions due to the pandemic and have recently put a mask order in place for both the entertainment and event zones to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors to our great city. When the governor lifted the capacity restrictions and opened bars, we turned to the tight-knit hospitality community to reopen safe and sound, but there’s a level of personal responsibility that must be followed or risk getting shut down.”

“It is a little frustrating because we have worked so hard" to spread coronavirus safety messages, Castor said.

Efforts included public safety announcements featuring Bucs players, billboards and signs reminding residents and visitors of the mask mandate and a message from Castor herself that was broadcast on the intercom system throughout Tampa International Airport.

“At this point in dealing with COVID-19, there is a level of frustration when you see that (people ignoring protocols)," she said.

Castor said the game itself was a success despite predictions by naysayers asserting that it would be impossible to maintain protocols during a major event such as the Super Bowl

Attendance at Raymond James Stadium, which can seat 65,890 people, was limited to 22,000 people (including 7,500 vaccinated health care workers) who were mandated to wear masks.

To help facilitate compliance, the city and Tampa General Hospital handed out 200,000 masks before the game.

The game tickets were numbered to guarantee that fans who were not family members would be seated apart.

"We showed it could be done," she said.

She said she hopes the behavior of a few doesn't reflect badly on the majority who followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols.

Courtesy City of Tampa