More than 100 illuminated floats rolled down 7th Avenue in Ybor City Saturday night, as hundreds gathered for the 52nd annual Krewe of the Knights of Sant' Yago Knight Parade a tradition that has been celebrating Tampa's rich c ultural heritage since 1974.The event, dedicated to raising money for higher education, has awarded local students over $5 million in scholarships throughout its history.WATCH: Ybor City celebrates 52nd annual Illuminated Knight Parade with enhanced security measures Ybor City celebrates 52nd annual Illuminated Knight Parade with enhanced security measures"We're proud of the rich history of Tampa and to celebrate Latin heritage of Ybor City," Joe Parrino of the Krewe of the Knights of Sant' Yago said.This year's grand marshal, Carlos Fuente, owner of the Arturo Fuente cigar company in Ybor, brought special significance to the celebration. Tampa was once known as the cigar capital of the world, and Fuente's family has deep roots in that legacy."I was born in the cigar industry right here in Ybor City, raised inside the cigar factory. I'm the 3rd generation, and we're working on the 4th now," Fuente said.The parade attracted both longtime Tampa residents and first-time visitors. Faith Williams, a young parade-goer, said she was most excited about "them throwing beads."Elizabeth Durham, visiting from Virginia, stumbled upon the celebration by chance."Yesterday was my 25th birthday, so we came out to enjoy Ybor City, and I was like, dang, there's a lot of people out here and come to find out it was a parade. So kind of an accident to be here, but we're really excited," Durham said.Some established groups marked special milestones during the parade. The Krewe of Cavaliers unveiled their first-ever float after more than 40 years as a crew."We've been a crew for over 40 years, but this is our first parade with our very own float, and we couldn't be prouder of this float," Kim Byrd, a member of the Krewe of Cavaliers, said. The celebration took place with enhanced security measures implemented by the Tampa Police Department following recent tragic incidents in Ybor, including a deadly crash and a shooting."We'll have hundreds of officers out here to keep everybody safe," Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.Bercaw acknowledged the impact of past tragedies on the community's sense of security."That's a tragedy that we'll never forget, and we're always planning and making adjustments to make our security the best that it can be," Bercaw said.Officers were deployed throughout the area on horseback, motorcycles, and undercover, blending into the crowd without uniforms to ensure public safety while maintaining the festive atmosphere. The comprehensive security presence allowed hundreds of people to enjoy the festivities and celebrate on 7th Avenue with confidence. ...read more read less