History | Mama Guava | Papa Guava | The Guavettes

Guavaween is a Latin-style Halloween celebration held in Tampa's historic Ybor City. Although Ybor City is more famous for its cigars than its guava, the name is fitting. The story goes something like this: Long ago, Tampa pioneer Gavino Gutierrez tried to cultivate guava commercially here, but was unsuccessful because of the climate and rising land prices. However, a local newspaper columnist was successful in planting the idea that if New York is the "Big Apple," then it follows that Tampa must be the "Big Guava." And that's how it all began.

For 20 years, the mythical Mama Guava has led her loyal band of followers in the Mama Guava Stumble parade. Although Mama has sworn to take the "bore" out of Ybor, her job -- quite frankly -- is an easy one, especially for this one day, the holiday named for her, Guavaween!

The celebration attracts more than 100,000 people from all over the world, and features not only the Stumble Parade, Costume Contest and Live national and local Concerts, but has become a full day of fun for people of all ages. Guavaween Family FunFest fills the streets between 11:00AM and 4:00PM and offers exciting activities for young and old alike, including a scavenger hunt, safe trick or treating, music, food, rides, contests and the children's Costume Contest and Parade.

After 4:00PM Mama Guava welcomes her adult revelers and the Night of Costumed Revelry gets under way. Of course, historic Ybor City features fabulous shops, restaurants and clubs which attract the followers late into the night.

Guavaween is a party with a purpose, too. As a fund-raiser for the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Guavaween serves to preserve Tampa's oldest city.

Be sure to visit the "Big Guava" and join Mama Guava in her holiday and take the "bore" out of Ybor City.

The Myth of Mama Guava

History | Mama Guava | Papa Guava | The Guavettes

In 1801, in a steamy grotto where the roots of palmetto trees intermingled with those of the guava (a location better known as Ybor City), Mama Guava was born of a mysterious union between Jose Gaspar and a scrub palmetto. The earth trembled and grunted; dark subterranean waters growled their approval and this girl child swathed in guava paste burst forth into the world.

Abandoned by her scurrilous father, the baby lay in the grotto until she was discovered by a young rabbinical student on an exchange program at the convent known in those days as Our Lady of Perpetual Fruit. There, Mama Guava spent her childhood. As she ripened with adolescence, the novitiates found themselves disturbed by the seething intensity of this young girl who was moved at odd times to singing ecstatic choruses of "Guava-Maria" and "Guava-Nagila." Finally, Mama Guava grew tired of boiling her jelly in the closet. With a defiant cry of "I can't get no satisfaction," she fled the convent to make her way in the world and write the Book of Love.

Moving through the murky layers of international subculture over the next several centuries, this lusty creature of the night left legendary exploits that were only recounted in whispers. It is said that an evening with Mama Guava reduced strong men into blithering idiots moaning in their mindless desire for another taste of her fruit. It was Mama Guava who caused Pavlov's dogs to salivate. It was Mama Guava who provided the inspiration for Mardi Gras and Carnivale. It was Mama Guava who taught Janis Joplin to sing. Now, Mama Guava, accompanied by two polar bears she collected in her recent attempt to melt the permafrost in the Antarctic, returns to the place of her birth. She has proclaimed that she will abandon her veil of secrecy to take the "bore" out of Ybor and prove once and for all that the Big Guava is succulent, juicy, and ripe for greatness. Her followers will convene to celebrate her re-emergence on the holiday named for her: Guavaween.

The Myth of Papa Guava

History | Mama Guava | Papa Guava | The Guavettes

It is said that he has always been there. The ancient ones who settled the land around the bay claim to have seen a spirit they refer to only as Guavaloxcl...a strange and large creature who would appear out of nearby swamps each year at the harvesting of the guavas.

Unfortunately, Guavaloxcl liked to mingle with the natives. But he carried with him the aroma of old yogurt and chili peppers. To keep him away from the villages, each year at the harvest moon the natives would go to the edge of the swanp and leave a gift offering of guava turnovers and a virgin queen (if one was available).

Centuries later, when the cigar workers came to the land and built their village of Ybor, they soon began to hear rumors of a strange presence who would wander the streets at night. At first they thought it was only the lack of a good sewage system, but thy noticed that it only happened at a certain time of the year.

During that period, strange things would happen in the village-guava pastries would disappear from bakeries, cigars would be missing from the factories and the local women would gossip about a mysterious stranger they met at the cantina who could dance and charm them like no other.

It was on a crisp and clear night in 1887, the night of the full moon that he finally appeared. Striding down the center of 7th Avenue, the great man dressed in gold and green announced that he was Papa Guava, that it was Guavaween, and that his needs had to be met.

Frightened, the citizens began tossing guava pastries and Cuban sandwiches in his direction, but he was not satisfied. Unfortunately, that particular year, there was a shortage of virgin queens and Papa Guava went into a rage, threatening to call out the creatures of the night.

Suddenly, from a second story window, a voice called out, "Hey Big Boy! I got your guavas right here!" It was the legendary Mama Guava, calling down from the pool hall where she had been hustling the cigar workers for their checks and free cigars. And so the famous union was born and Ybor City was saved.

Papa Guava disappeared soon after. It was rumored that he had joined forces with the pirate Jose Gaspar to teach him the art of urban pillaging in the Caribbean. Mama Guava, in a depression, is said to have joined a revolutionary front in Argentina and later was seen in India where she was thought to have fallen for the Maharaja of Bolicheevan.

It would not be until another cool, crisp night in 1983 that a peculiar, slightly familiar aroma, would again sweep down the streets of a dying Ybor City. It was Papa Guava, reunited with the queen of all guavas, back to restore Ybor City to its rightful place with the great cities of the world-celebrating Guavaween-always the last Saturday in October.

The Myth of Those Fabulous Guavettes

History | Mama Guava | Papa Guava | The Guavettes

Once upon a time, there lived a pirate named Jose Gaspar. This pirate was known 'round the world for the terror he brought to those he pillaged. However, Ybor City has a different picture of this terrible man, for he is the one who gave them their Queen, and she in turn, gave us those fabulous Guavettes.

It was in 1801 when the now legendary Mama Guava was born of a mysterious union between this pirate, Gaspar, and (curiously enough) a scrub palmetto. Gaspar was not the parenting kind, however so the babe was reared in the convent of Our Lady of Perpetual Fruit. There she ripened into a lusty adolescent, and with a full-throated rendition of "Guava-Maria" left the puzzled novitiates behind, heading off to seek her fortune and find a suitable mate.

After a long (long, long) line of lovers, she finally came across a man who was a match for her, Papa Guava, himself.

No one really knows how Papa came to be. It is said that he has always been there. The ancient ones who settled the land around the bay claim that the spirit they called Guavaloxcl would appear each year at the harvest moon to mingle with the natives. Alas, due to the aroma of old yogurt and chili peppers he carried with him, the natives would try to keep him at bay by appeasing him with an offering of guava turnovers and a virgin queen (when available).

Centuries later, when the cigar workers came to the land and built their village of Ybor, they began to hear rumors of a strange man who charmed the ladies in the cantinas. This man was also suspected of stealing guava pastries from the bakeries and cigars from the factories.

Finally in 1887, on the night of the harvest moon, a great (though awful smelling) man came striding down the center of 7th Avenue dressed in green and gold. He announced that he was Papa Guava, that it was Guavaween, and that his needs must be met.

Well there were pastries a-plenty, and cigars, too, but that year there was a shortage of virgin queens, and that sent Papa into a rage. While he huffed and puffed and threatened to blow ol' Ybor down, a voice called to him from a second story pool hall window: "Hey Big Boy! I got your guavas up here." Yes, it was Mama Guava, and thus the famous union was born and Ybor City was saved.

But the story was not over. Not by a long shot. These two carried on like Bonnie and Clyde but only during that harvest time. The rest of the year they were as quiet as could be.

Then on Midsummer’s Day in 1995, reports of three beautiful girls were heard all over Tampa town. They were said to carry the sweet smell of fresh guavas and a good cigar, and while they were much more demure than Mama Guava, many townsfolk noted a striking resemblance.

In deed, these beauties, Guavalina, Guavella and Guavetta, are the mythical children of the mythical Mama and Papa Guava. They were born not only to ensure that there would always be a virgin queen alive and well in Ybor, but also to spread the word about their parents' high holy day, Guavaween. Now, all year ‘round, throughout the town, in parades and watering holes, alike, those fabulous Guavettes carry the torch for Ybor City's greatest day... and with nothing more than a smile, bring young men to their knees.

History | Mama Guava | Papa Guava | The Guavettes