The Ybor City area was filled with the aroma of tobacco on Sunday as the renowned cigar festival made its comeback at Centennial Park, marking the return of the largest gathering of its kind.
Cigar enthusiasts gathered at Centennial Park to admire premium hand-rolled cigars from numerous global vendors. Attendees celebrated the craftsmanship and historical significance of the cigar industry in Tampa. “This is the place where all the biggest personalities in the cigar industry come together to enjoy this amazing festival,” stated Karen Berger, who traveled from Daytona Beach to showcase her cigars.
Bruce Busch, a cigar enthusiast who grew up in Tampa, expressed the event’s importance to the local community. “I was born in Clearwater. I was raised in Tampa. So being part of the cigar community means a lot to everyone in the city,” he said. According to Busch, the festival is a special event for showcasing Ybor City to both domestic and international visitors.
Rob Aguinaga, whose grandmother was involved in the original Ybor City cigar festivals, shared a historical perspective. “It’s been going on since the 30s. It was called Love Verbena,” he explained. These events once featured a full parade attracting up to 16,000 participants.
The festival’s contemporary version, revived by Aguinaga’s family since 2016, has grown with support from major sponsors like Arturo Fuente Cigars and J.C. Newman Cigars. Aguinaga shared plans for future expansions. “We are thinking about maybe next year doing the week-long event and bringing that back to Tampa,” he added.
The Ybor City Cigar Festival continues to be a key cultural event, drawing both local and international visitors to celebrate the rich heritage and contemporary craftsmanship of the cigar industry. Plans for future expansion highlight the festival’s growing importance.
Source: Fox13news
