Hosted by Arturo Fuente and J.C. Newman, La Verbena was held at Centennial Park in Ybor City. About 5,000 cigar lovers and their families enjoyed music from radio personality Franco Silva, food, and cigar rolling demonstrations. Children participated in games such as felt Cuban sandwich assembly and dominoes.
The festival also marked the launch of Tampa Mafia Magazine and included exhibits like “Ybor History” (which details the birth of Ybor City’s cigar industry) and “100 Years of Baseball in Tampa.”
