Nothing brings our community together quite like the Chasco Fiesta. From parades to concerts and Native American presentations, the Chasco Fiesta captures the spirit of our community in a way no other area event can.
Chasco Fiesta started 104 years ago, when the city postmaster, Gerben DeVries, was tasked with coming up with an event to attract people to the city while raising funds for the community library. Gerben was inspired by the local native tribes and loved the beautiful Pithlachascotee River flowing through the city. He combined the two with a fictional pageant, naming the main characters King Pithla and Queen Chasco. From that moment, Chasco Fiesta was born and has been bringing a focus on philanthropy and performance to the community since.
Today’s event looks different than it did a century ago. Today, it spans nine days packed with fun family activities and entertainment. This year’s theme is “Spirit of America”; Celebrating 250 years of Red, White, and YOU! The annual street parade is the third largest in the state, featuring marching bands and floats from across the Tampa Bay area and beyond. The boat parade is the second longest running boat parade in the state, using the Pithlachascotee River as its stage. Chasco also features a carnival, live music and a variety of vendors. Through the years, it’s also grown to include a golf tournament and a car, truck, and bike show. The last show of the event, the annual Country Concert, has hosted many huge names in country music like Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, and Rascal Flatts, who took the stage in Sims Park early in their careers.
An event of this scale doesn’t happen by chance. It takes a dedicated group focused on bringing positive impact to our community. Chasco Fiesta, Inc. is the non-profit focused on bringing the event to life for all to enjoy. Cami Austin, chairperson of the Chasco Fiesta, Inc. Board of Directors, has been volunteering with the event since 1993, becoming chairperson 25 years ago in 2001. She’s not alone in that commitment, with many fellow volunteers dedicated to the event for decades. “It takes hundreds of volunteers, I would say even a thousand. It’s a yearlong process. It’s just unbelievable,” explained Austin. “A week after we put the last chair away, we meet,” added Billie Bikakis, Executive Director of Chasco Fiesta, Inc.
In the spirit of the original Chasco Fiesta, the event provides a platform for area non-profits to raise funds and create awareness. “A lot of nonprofits will participate in the street parade and the boat parade. They can [also] be vendors. But aside from actually selling something, we provide them space in the park where they can raise awareness,” explained Bikakis. “For some nonprofits, the support they receive through Chasco helps sustain their work year-round,” Austin added.
As a non-profit itself, Chasco Fiesta, Inc. raises money all year long through sponsorships to help bring the event to life. There is a nominal fee of $5 for entering the festival grounds in the park to help offset the continually rising costs of hosting the event. The event organizers rent the park daily for the festivities, and the many performers, security, and materials required to host the event come at a significant cost. “An artist that would charge $50,000 a few years ago is now asking for $150,000, so everything is more expensive,” explained Bikakis. The funds raised allow them to fairly compensate artists and Native American performers for their work, including lodging and meals during the event.
Philanthropy has always been a focus of Chasco Fiesta. Nothing exemplifies that quite like the annual coronation of King Pithla and Queen Chasco at the annual Coronation Ball hosted by the Lighthouse for the Blind. This event kicks off Chasco Fiesta by honoring outstanding local philanthropists who raise funds and bring positive change to our community all year long. Local non-profits nominate each contender for the honor of being named King Pithla and Queen Chasco, and it’s an honor felt keenly by the recipients. The honorees then become a fixture at Chasco events, wearing their crowns and sashes wherever they go. “They reign over Chasco,” shared Austin.
Above all, Chasco is about bringing the community together, learning about our Native American culture and the organizations that make our community what it is today. “Some think it’s just a music festival, but it’s really about bringing people together, learning more about Native American culture and history, and highlighting the nonprofits and resources that strengthen our community,” shared Bikakis. It’s no wonder Chasco Fiesta is such a fixture in the community, with local businesses celebrating the fun right alongside the residents. With the commitment of the army of volunteers that bring the event to life, it will continue bringing people together, forging family memories, for decades to come.