Inventory flying off shelves at Tampa beads store ahead of 2024 Gasparilla parade

TAMPA, Fla. - Jennifer Grindell has been selling beads at Buccaneer Beads for almost two decades. She can tell the 2024 Gasparilla parade is going to be different.  

"I think this year’s just going to be over the top," Grindell said. "I can't bring in inventory fast enough."

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This time last year, Grindell said her store was fully stocked with beads from eight large trucks. 

But this year, that’s not nearly enough; Grindell told FOX 13 she’s expecting her 13th truck full of beads to arrive this week.  

Customers have noticed beads seem to be flying off the shelves, too. 

"I was surprised how much was taken already. That's unbelievable," Ray Gurka, who was buying beads for the Rough Riders, said. "So supposedly it’s going to be a good season for all the parades."

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"When this shipment shows up tomorrow, I'm already going to be placing another order for another truckload that will show up next week," Grindell said.

The store inventory doesn’t include all the beads needed to fill customer and Krewe orders, which are bigger this year compared to last year, according to Grindell. 

In addition, Tampa is hosting the Royal Rumble on January 27, the same day as the Gasparilla parade. There’s also a Lightning home game that night. 

That means more people in the Tampa Bay area with more reasons to celebrate, Grindell said. 

"I think just having these big events coming to Tampa Bay and the amount of people that have moved here [has] made everything so much bigger and more exciting," Grindell said. 

"Just something in the air," Gurka said. "The Bucs are doing well. That has excitement going, too, and so forth. So, I think that a little bit of the pirate theme carries over to the parade. So that could be something to do with it."