Children's Gasparilla 2026 Parade Brings Family Fun to Tampa on Jan. 24
TAMPA, Fla. - Netflix's Love on the Spectrum stars have been named as the grand marshals of the Children's Gasparilla 2026 parade. Madison Marilla and Tyler White will lead the pirates and their merry band of revelers, which includes more than 140 floats, bands, krewes, and community groups, down Bayshore Boulevard on January 24. This Tampa Bay-based duo is known for spreading joy, celebrating neurodiversity, and inspiring families through music, creativity, and authentic storytelling. Officials with Children's Gasparilla said that's what makes the duo the perfect pair to lead the parade. Marilla is also one of two young women from the Bay Area who are featured as Barbie role models to mark the Autistic Barbie doll's release. Children's Gasparilla is taking place on January 24 from 12 - 7:30 in downtown Tampa and along Bayshore Boulevard. It is an alcohol-free event with a bicycle rodeo, preschooler's stroll, air invasion, parade and fireworks show. The G-rated Children's Parade is held the week before the more raucous Gasparilla Pirate Fest and has been a part of the festival's history since the 1940s.
