Traditionally held on the last Saturday in October, Guavaween used to be divided into daylight hours for family-oriented activities and the Mama Guava Stumble Parade after night fell. Controversy arose after officials decided to fence off the Ybor district for the night, bring in outside vendors for alcohol and food sales, and charge an admission fee. Partiers complained that it was too expensive, and businesses didn't like competing with vendors brought in from the outside.
This year's event did away with fences, large outdoor stages, the parade, wet zone, and street vendors. Instead, in addition to the traditional costume contest at Centro Ybor, seven locations hosted 31 musical acts. [CLICK HERE for a review about that component of the fest, with photos.] Traffic flowed down Seventh Avenue, and open containers were not allowed on the street.
The 2012 costumes did not disappoint. Everywhere along Seventh Avenue were monsters of every description, sexy schoolgirls of both genders, Nazis, freaks, superheroes, and gawkers with cameras on every corner.
Guavaween also brought temporary celebrity to people in costume. If you were sexy, quirky or sporting a popular costume, others wanted to be photographed with you. Here are some crowd favorites. 
Opinions of the change in format were mixed. The rationale for taking away the fences and the street vendors was to bring customers back to the existing businesses in the district. The Chamber of Commerce was responding to complaints that sales were down because people were staying on the street to party and not patronizing their establishments.
Ayrrun Stahl and Roberta Obry pose after the costume contest. Obry has been attending since 1996 and does not like the new format either. She misses some of the old features like the 98 Rock Stage with big-name acts.
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Sheri West and Martha Bone also preferred the 2012 format. They thought it felt safer without the fences, and they liked the fact that there were fewer people.
Officials may have difficulty making a decision on future formats. Many of the clubs which required the $30 armband were empty most of the night. Some, like the Crowbar when Have Gun Will Travel was playing, were packed. It was clear that the crowd that gathered on Seventh Avenue was much larger than that of a typical Saturday night. So the chamber got what it wanted by attracting a larger crowd, but in some cases failed to fill the businesses that were hosting the sponsored bands.
Kathi Grau, Mama Guava herself, may have summed it up best. She favors a hybrid of the two formats. She understands the need for businesses to make money but also wants Guavaween to be a party for the people. According to Grau, the original event was modeled loosely after Fantasy Fest in Key West. She would like to see the return of the parade, national acts, and no fences.
The Ybor City Chamber of Commerce tried something new Saturday night for Guavaween, the annual Halloween celebration in the historic district. The event has undergone many permutations. It began 27 years ago as a loosely organized celebration led by writers and artists. Over the years it has become more popular, but it's been difficult for organizers to find the right mix of music festival and costume party that would please businesses and attendees alike.
