The Krewe of the Knights of Sant'Yago runs the Illuminated Knight Parade down 7th Avenue in Ybor City. The krewe has staged it every year since 1974. The parade page publishes one clock time: the parade begins around 7pm on 7th Avenue in Ybor City. The page times no finish.
What the route carries
Illuminated floats, marching bands, dance troupes and costumed participants move through Ybor City. Thousands of spectators line Seventh Avenue. More than 100 organizations take part, including local government officials, dignitaries and many of Tampa Bay's krewes. The krewe leads the procession.
The page publishes no staging window, no road-closure time and no route map. Seven o'clock is the whole timetable.
The date the krewe publishes for 2027
The parade page still prints the 2026 edition: February 14th, 2026, the 2026 Grand Marshal Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr., and a pre-party at Carmine's on February 13 from 7 to 11 p.m. The krewe's events calendar carries the next edition: Saturday, February 13, 2027, from 12:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The homepage lists the Illuminated Knight Parade on February 13th, 2027. Confirm the date with the krewe office before a booking, and plan the afternoon around the 7 p.m. hour the parade page describes.
The afternoon a 7 p.m. step-off leaves open
A band that marches at 7 has the hours before it. A crew working illuminated floats has the same hours. The krewe publishes no call time for either group.
hotelSlots.org sells four slots: Morning (6AM-12PM), Afternoon (12PM-6PM), Evening (6PM-12AM) and Overnight (12AM-6AM). Book one slot, or combine slots for full-day coverage. Afternoon ends at 6 p.m., one hour before the step-off. Morning plus Afternoon covers 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tampa day-use rates on the 22 October 2026 read
The dayuse.com Tampa page lists 13 properties on 22 October 2026. Each displayed price includes the booking fee.
Downtown carries three cards. Aloft Tampa Downtown runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at $116. Le Méridien Tampa, The Courthouse runs 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at $138. Hotel Flor Tampa Downtown runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at $148. The Westin Tampa Waterside runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at $138 and sits in the Southeast Tampa group.
Five cards carry a window that opens at 8 a.m. Quality Inn and Conference Center Tampa-Brandon reads $66. Quality Inn and Suites Tampa near Fairgrounds and Casino reads $71. Clarion Pointe Tampa-Brandon reads $71. Sleep Inn near Busch Gardens reads $100. TownePlace Suites Tampa Westshore/Airport reads $139.
Measure each window against a 7 p.m. step-off. Aloft closes at 4 p.m. Hotel Flor closes at 5 p.m. The Le Méridien window runs 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and covers the first hour of the parade.
Ybor rooms and the day-use set
The City of Tampa hotel list carries three Ybor City properties, each measured from the Convention Center. Hampton Inn and Suites Ybor City sits at 1301 East 7th Ave, 2 miles. Hotel Haya sits at 1412 E. 7th Avenue, 2 miles. Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Ybor Historic District sits at 1700 East 9th Ave, 2.3 miles.
Two of the three carry a 7th Avenue address, on the street the parade runs along. None of the three appears among the 13 Tampa day-use cards on this read.
Checkout timing for a night that ends late
A day slot ends at its published hour. An Afternoon slot ends at 6 p.m. The Le Méridien window ends at 8 p.m. The krewe publishes no finish time for the parade.
Two shapes work. Take Morning plus Afternoon for a base from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., then walk to 7th Avenue with nothing held. Take the Le Méridien 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. window and keep a room through the first hour of the parade.
A crew that needs a room after 8 p.m. buys an overnight stay. The Overnight slot runs 12AM-6AM and covers none of the evening.
Booking path and the Florida rule
hotelSlots.org is free to use. No booking fees, and the guest pays the hotel directly for the slot.
The FAQ reads: “A few states (FL, HI, IA, WA) restrict day-use bookings under state travel laws.” The seller-of-travel page, last updated October 22, 2026, states that hotelSlots.org cannot process hotel booking requests from or for residents of Florida, Hawaii, Iowa and Washington. The Florida directory page answers 404. Send a compliance question to compliance@hotelhuddle.com.
What to book for a Knight Parade afternoon
Stage in the afternoon and leave the evening free: Morning plus Afternoon, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Arrive at midday and want a base through the route work: Afternoon, ending an hour before the step-off.
Keep a room past the step-off: the Le Méridien 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. window.
Then settle the date with the krewe office. The parade page carries 2026, the krewe calendar carries February 13, 2027, and the 7 p.m. hour is the figure to plan the afternoon around.
