Sant ‘Yago Knight Parade: Tampa PD, Ybor City Businesses ready for this weekend’s event

Tampa, Fla. And Tampa Police Department and Ybor City companies are ready for Saturday’s Sant ‘Yago Knight Parade.

Since 1974 Krewe from Knights of Sant ‘Yago has hosted this traditionThere celebrates Tampa’s long Latin heritage and bourgeois pride. Previously, this parade has drawn 100,000 people to 7th Avenue in Ybor to catch pearls and watch the swimmers go through the neighborhood.

READ: Florida shoots leaves at least 2 dead during Halloween festivities

After the recent tragedy in New Orleans about the New Year and the deadly shooting in Ybor during Halloween 2023, keeping crowds in safety under highly traded events such as Saturday’s parade is at the top of the mind of TPD.

Dig deeper:

“Just because you don’t see an officer doesn’t mean you’re not being observed at the time,” TPD SGT. James Valentino said Thursday.

Officers and senders will see Saturday’s festivities from TPD’s real -time crime center, which includes more live cameras located throughout Ybor.

Follow Fox 13 on YouTube

“It could be something proactive,” Valentino said when describing what they are looking at. “Or we might see a disturbance occurring. Get officers there so they can prevent it from escalating. It may be somewhat suspicious that we see that officers are investigating it.”

The overall security in Ybor has generally increased over the past two years after the Halloween shooting in 2023 left two people dead and 16 wounded.

“Obviously, we have our assets in (the real -time crime center),” Valentino said. “And then there have been additional barricade efforts on the streets.”

What they say:

Carmine Iavarone, which owns Carmmine’s restaurant at 7th Avenue in Ybor City, showed Fox 13 some of these barricades near his restaurant on Thursday afternoon.

READ: Ybor City Shooting: Police Gear Up to Halloween Weekends Cups One Year After 2 Killed, 16 Wounded

“We feel very safe, but we are aware that we need to be aware of and we must always look around and try to make every day a safer day here in Tampa,” Iavarone said.

Staff at Carmine’s restaurant spent Thursday getting ready to feed the large audience expected on Saturday.

“More things that people eat with their hands: More French fries, more mozzarella sticks, Cuban sandwiches,” said Carmmine’s restaurant General Manager Frank Sierra. “So just kind of another style prep. But that’s actually what everyone is working on right now.”

The staff knows the drill: After all, they have been in Ybor for more than 40 years.

“We are doing well. We are ready. We are looking forward to a very happy, safe event,” said Iavarone.

See FOX 13 NEWS:

Get connected with FOX 13 TAMPA:

YBOR CITYGAASPARILLA PIRATE INVASION