Guavaween to stumble and roll this year

If the freaks really do come out at night, they'll likely be roaming Seventh Avenue Saturday at Guavaween.

This is the 26th year for the adult-oriented festival, which packs the historic district with ghouls, goblins and everything in between.

The Mama Guava Stumble will wind its way down the heart of Ybor City with Mama Guava, Guavaween's matriarch. But this year, she will ride atop a motorized float.

After a two-year ban, motorized floats are again allowed in the parade. Last year, horse-drawn floats lumbered down the street.

"(Floats) are something people told us they wanted back and we listened," said Tom Keating, president of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce. Guavaween is a fundraiser for the chamber.

Keating said the ban on motorized floats was designed to provide a more interactive experience and cut costs. Without motorized floats, there was no need for parade barricades, which are costly to set up and tear down, he said.

With the return of floats, Keating expects a crowd of about 20,000 to attend. Attendance has suffered, with some krewes backing out of the festival when the ban took effect.

Expect about 20 floats in Saturday's parade, which gets under way at 8 p.m. with Mama Guava (Kathy Grau) as grand marshal.

Guavaween's theme this year is "Be a Superhero," due to the number of superhero-themed movies that debuted this past summer.

But there won't be anything for the kids this year. Organizers decided to do away with the Family Fun Fest at Centennial Park, which usually preceded the Guavaween madness.

"We felt it was an uncomfortable event transitioning from a family event to an adult event in the evening," Keating said. "(Guavaween) is like Fantasy Fest (in Key West), but not quite on the edge."

The costume contest is a popular draw and is expected to attract people in creative, raunchy and truly bizarre get-ups competing for a $1,000 prize. There also will be a $250 prize for best superhero-themed costume.

The costume contest begins at 10 p.m. on the Halloween Express Stage, at Seventh Avenue and 18th Street.

This year's event features live performances by Tonic, EVE6, Scilter and Coo Coo Ca Choo, performing on three stages set up on Eighth Avenue in Centro Ybor, and 14th{+ }and 18th streets along Seventh Avenue.

Guavaween, named for the sweet fruit used in Cuban pastries, began as a non-motorized event in 1985. The name is a play on the "Big Guava" nickname Tribune columnist Steve Otto coined for Tampa, similar to New York City's "Big Apple" tag.

GUAVAWEEN

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Seventh Avenue, Ybor City

Tickets: $17 at the gate, or $12 online at www.ybor.org

More info: At 3 p.m. Saturday, Seventh Avenue will be closed between 15th and 20th streets.