Tampa’s annual pirate festivities commence with the Jan. 18 Children’s Gasparilla and Jan. 25 Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Just weeks after 14 were killed and dozens injured in New Orleans when a man intentionally drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street, local officials announced additional resources will be used this year to assure safety.

Hundreds of thousands of people flock to Tampa for Gasparilla, the area's largest event every year. New security concerns are surfacing in light of the recent attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.