Tens of thousands of people flocking to downtown Tampa...

It's not the best idea in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. So, Gasparilla 2021 is being postponed to April.

The events normally take place early in the year, but organizers decided to delay the pirate invasion and parades to keep everyone safe.

"Out of an abundance of caution and after consulting with healthcare providers, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (YMKG) and EventFest have announced that they will postpone Tampa's signature Gasparilla Parades to a later date this spring. The decision resulted from an ongoing dialogue between event organizers, city leaders, and healthcare experts," organizers wrote in a statement.

"This year's postponement of Gasparilla festivities is not the first in event history. Over the past 107 years, parades were not held for numerous reasons, including when the city had limited public celebrations or during wartimes."

The children's parade will now be held on April 10.

The main event is scheduled for April 17.

More details are available here.

Gasparilla Fest draws in thousands to Tampa Businesses every year, and some local business owners are concerned the postponement could cost them.

Others are looking at it as a gift.

After the announcement, the owners of two popular downtown business said they told their staff to look at the positives.

“At least it is scheduled. April is a good month. The weather is good. It’s still not too humid. Maybe we’ll have better weather than we will in January, so we’ll take it and look at the bright side,” Harpoon Harry’s General Manager, Eric Litchfield said.

“We also have the super bowl the week after, so we’re still gonna have a lot of people here in Tampa. So now, instead of the huge parade and everything else that goes along with it – now we can showcase this beautiful city of ours and everything else,” Hattricks Restaurant and Bar Manager, Jeff Single said.