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Ybor City Cigar Festival returns to Centennial Park

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Published  December 8, 2024 5:28pm EST
Tampa
FOX 13 News

TAMPA - The smell of fresh tobacco filled the Ybor City air on Sunday, as the largest cigar festival of its kind took over Centennial Park. 

"This is the place where all the biggest personalities in the cigar industry brigade to enjoy this amazing festival," said Karen Berger, who traveled from Daytona Beach to sell her own name-brand cigars at the event. 

Ybor City Cigar Festival at Centennial Park.

Cigar aficionados could be seen admiring premium hand-rolled cigars from dozens of global vendors; and, of course, indulged in tastings as they celebrated the craftsmanship and history of the industry that turned Tampa into what it is today. 

"I was born in Clearwater. I was raised in Tampa. So being part of the cigar community, it means a lot to everyone in the city," said cigar enthusiast Bruce Busch. "This is something special for us to showcase for everyone, not just the United States, but the world, there are people here from Europe right now. We're very proud of it." 

Statements like that are music to Rob Aguinaga's ears. Decades ago, his grandmother participated in the original cigar festivals of Ybor City. 

"It's been going on since the 30s. It was called La Verbena," Aguinaga told FOX 13. "They used to go on for a whole week. There was a full parade that brought out 15 or 16,000 people."

Ybor City Cigar Festival at Centennial Park.

Aguinaga's mother, Lisa Figueredo, is the founder and publisher of Cigar City Magazine. After changing hands in ownership a few times, their family took over the festival in 2016. 

Ever since, they've made it bigger and better with the help of presenting sponsors like Arturo Fuente Cigars and J.C. Newman Cigars.

But Rob said they still have a grand vision in mind. 

"We are thinking about maybe next year doing the week-long event and bringing that back to Tampa," Aguinaga added. 

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