About the Krewe:
Our Krewe was founded in 2003 by 5 good friends; today we have about 75 full time members.
The Krewe was all-male until 2009 until the formation of the RRRitas to allow for women to join our Krewe. Today, the Krewe is comprised of a diverse representation of occupations, ages, ethnic origins, and religions with many Florida natives and a number of future Florida retirees.
Our Krewe event year originally started on April 15th, to coincide with the landing of Panfilo de Narvaez in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Krewe celebrated as a weekend event and party at the beach; it is also our main Board of Directors’ meeting when we elect the Board and committee members. The beach weekend and election was moved to June in 2011 to accommodate member’s schedules.
The Krewe has hosted a number of noteworthy events. Among the unique events hosted include “Wine for Hearts” tasting and auction, “2007 Rock for the Hearts” concert and auction with headliners Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult and Mark Farmer of Grand Funk Railroad, and a Casa Blanca-themed event entitled “a Night at Rick’s”.
Volunteerism and community involvement is very important to the Krewe and members have volunteered to the Friends of Woodlawn Charity Golf Classic, the Great American Teach In and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Additionally, the Krewe hosts recurring fundraising events for their charities including Poker Walks, Kentucky Derby Parties, and Happy Heart Parties. The Krewe has invited children from All Children’s Hospital to ride and toss beads during the Gasparilla Children’s Parade. Each child receives a grab bag of goodies and plenty of beads to toss to the crowds.
The Krewe appreciation for members of the military and their families is evident in extending invitation to military members and their spouses to participate in the Knights’ and Roughriders’ parades and supplying them with beads and medallions. In 2016, Krewe member Kathy Arnold began inviting children of MacDill AFB and the U.S. Coast Guard Tampa Bay aboard the Krewe float for the Gasparilla Children’s Parade. This effort has been named Operation Appreciation and she has earned recognition from the Inter-Krewe Council as this effort is now being shared with several other Krewes due to overwhelming demand.
The Krewe of the Conquistadors of Tampa Bay will always continue to strive to leave a legacy of upgrading the quality of life and improving the natural eco-system of all of the inhabitants of Tampa Bay.
