Two days in March, free at the gate
The 57th Annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts runs Saturday, March 6, 2027, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, March 7, 2027, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in downtown Tampa. Admission is free. The organiser estimates 30,000 visitors across the weekend.
Three pages carry the 2027 dates: About the Festival, Overview for Artists, and the parking page's shuttle hours. The home page banner and the Event Overview page still print February 28 and March 1, 2026. The Event Overview labels that edition 55th annual. Put the March dates in the invite, then check the home page again before you commit flights.
Hundreds of artists across thirteen media
The show is juried and outdoor. The Overview for Artists page describes hundreds of artists from around the country and abroad. The media list runs ceramic, digital, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor and wood. Every exhibiting artist stands in the booth from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. A team that walks the rows on Saturday afternoon meets the maker at every stop.
Prize money runs up to $92,000. The organiser lists up to 40 awards, and it states that $92,000 was awarded in 2026. The Raymond James Financial Best in Show Award pays $15,000. Thirty Awards of Merit pay $1,300 each. The award ceremony lands on Saturday evening.
The Saturday showcase is the one paid element
The VIP Experience covers shade, private restrooms, catered food, beer, wine and specialty cocktails, with views of the Hillsborough River and the Tampa RiverWalk. One pass covers both festival days. The tent sits near the River Center.
Saturday runs on this clock: the VIP tent opens at 6 p.m. for awards viewing, the Artist Awards Ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m., and art viewing at the River Center runs 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Food and beverage service ends at 8 p.m.
The price ladder on the site covers 2026: $125 early bird through December 31, 2025, $150 from January 1 to February 27, 2026, and $175 on festival weekend. The 2027 ladder is not posted. Ask the festival office for the 2027 rate card before you commit a head count.
Parking, shuttles and a walkable downtown
Parking at Howard W. Blake High School, just north of the park, costs $15. The proceeds go to the Blake High School Booster Club. The City of Tampa sets a $10 flat pre-paid event rate at the Poe Garage. Free street parking sits west of the park. Accessible parking sits in the North and South Lots on a first-come basis.
Two garages feed free shuttles. Poe Garage has a stop on the northwest corner at Cass Street and Gasparilla Plaza. Rivergate Tower Garage has a stop at E. Twiggs Street and Ashley Drive. The park stop sits at 1001 N. Boulevard, along the southwest boundary. The shuttle runs 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. DASH runs hub to hub at $2 per person. Bike valet at the tennis courts is free.
Put the team on the shuttle and the vehicle count falls to the number of drivers you need. Three cars at the Poe Garage rate come to $30 for the weekend.
Pre-buying art as a team line item
The Collectors Krewe takes a pledge before the festival and returns part of it as Art Bucks for spending at the booths. Level 4 runs $2,500 and returns $2,200 in Art Bucks plus one VIP pass. Level 5 runs $5,000 and returns $4,500 in Art Bucks plus two VIP passes. Levels 1 to 3 run $650, $950 and $1,250, with $350, $650 and $950 back in Art Bucks. A pledge by January 15, 2027 carries personalised purchase-award ribbons. At Level 4 the pledge retains $300 after the Art Bucks, and that $300 buys a team a shared art budget with a receipt trail.
Rooms, and the Florida restriction on the close
A two-day festival needs one hotel night for a team that arrives Friday and leaves Sunday. bookMyTeam cannot process hotel booking requests from or for Florida residents. The notice at bookmyteam.org/seller-of-travel lists Florida, Hawaii, Iowa and Washington, cites Chapter 559, Florida Statutes, and states that bookMyTeam is not currently registered as a Florida Seller of Travel.
Take the room to the property's group sales office. Ask for the rate, the cut-off date and the minimum stay in writing, and put the festival dates in the request: March 6 and 7, 2027.
Compliance questions go to compliance@hotelhuddle.com.
The weekend at twelve people
Twelve VIP passes at the $150 regular rate come to $1,800. Gate admission is $0. Three cars at the Poe Garage rate add $30. The weekend lands at $1,830 before rooms and food, and the shuttle carries the team from the garage to the park.
Festival office: info@gasparillaarts.com, (813) 876-1747.
