After every great party comes the no-fun part: The cleanup.
That's what's taking place today in Tampa, following Saturday's 100th edition of the Gasparilla Pirate Fest.
Bayshore Boulevard is a mess along the Parade of Pirates route, and volunteers will spend the afternoon picking up hundreds of bottles, cans, plastic bags and strands of beads.
The cleanup is an organized, annual event. It started with only eight participants four years ago and has grown into a large-scale annual littler removal event.
This year, it's sponsored by the Tampa Bay Green Consortium, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and the city of Tampa's Department of Solid Waste and Environmental Program Management.
Saturday, more than 130 floats, bands, businesses and community organizations marched or rolled along the parade route, tossing beads and trinkets along the way. The annual event, a huge part of Tampa's history and culture, draws visitors from around the country.
Some 25 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies worked to keep the event safe. Officials reported 24 arrests, down from 40 last year, and only five open container citations.
Today's cleanup runs from noon to 3 p.m. Volunteers should meet at the sign-up tent located at the Tampa Garden Club, 2629 Bayshore Boulevard.