Sant'Yago Knight Parade in Ybor City: date, time and seats

The Sant'Yago Illuminated Knight Parade lights up Seventh Avenue in Ybor City each February. 2026 was Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.; the 2027 date is not out yet.

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Facts come from the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’Yago’s Knight Parade page and the City of Tampa’s Sant’Yago Knight Parade page. This page is updated each year at the same address.

The 2027 date for the Sant’Yago Illuminated Knight Parade has not been announced. The krewe holds the night parade every February on Seventh Avenue in Ybor City. In 2026 it was Saturday, Feb. 14, beginning around 7 p.m. We will add the 2027 date here as soon as the krewe posts it.

Know before you go

2027 date: not announced yet; the parade is held every February

Last year: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, around 7 p.m.

Where: Seventh Avenue, Ybor City

Cost: free from the street; reserved bleacher seats through the krewe

Questions: Krewe of the Knights of Sant’Yago, 813-248-3088, info@kreweofsantyago.com

What the Knight Parade is

The Krewe of the Knights of Sant’Yago has staged the Illuminated Knight Parade every year since 1974, the krewe says. Lighted floats, costumed krewes, marching bands and local officials roll down Seventh Avenue after dark, throwing beads to the crowd. The krewe says more than 100 organizations take part, including many of Tampa Bay’s krewes.

The city’s page calls it a favorite family event, with hundreds of lighted floats and bands of pirates, and notes that Suncoast Magazine has named it the largest and most beautiful night parade in the South.

On Tampa’s parade calendar it follows Children’s Gasparilla and Gasparilla Pirate Fest, both in January.

The 2026 parade

Date and time: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, starting around 7 p.m.
Route: Seventh Avenue in Ybor City.
Grand marshal: Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr., chairman of Arturo Fuente Cigars, a Tampa native and third-generation cigar maker who grew up in Ybor City.
Pre-party: the krewe’s official Knight Parade pre-party was the night before, Feb. 13, from 7 to 11 p.m. at Carmine’s in Ybor City.

Seats and tickets

Lining Seventh Avenue is free. The krewe sells reserved bleacher seats on its Knight Parade page once each year’s sale opens; it had not posted 2027 seats when we checked.

Road closures and parking

The parade fills Seventh Avenue. The city lists the parade on its special events page, and its special events office is at 813-274-8854. Closure times and parking details for 2027 had not been posted when we checked; we will add them when the city or the krewe publishes them.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Knight Parade 2027? The Krewe of the Knights of Sant’Yago had not announced the 2027 date when we checked on Oct. 10, 2026. The parade is held every February; in 2026 it was Saturday, Feb. 14.

What time does the Ybor City Knight Parade start? In 2026 the krewe said the parade would begin around 7 p.m. on Seventh Avenue in Ybor City.

Where is the Knight Parade route? The parade runs along Seventh Avenue in Ybor City, where spectators line the street, according to the krewe.

Is the Knight Parade free? Watching from the street is free. The krewe sells reserved bleacher seats through its own website.

What this means for you

Expect a February evening: the 2026 parade was on a Saturday, Valentine’s Day.
If you want a bleacher seat, watch the krewe’s page; seats go on sale before the parade.
Check back here in the new year for the 2027 date, the grand marshal and bleacher seats.