{"id":208435,"date":"2026-03-27T15:14:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/208435\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T15:14:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:14:08","slug":"5-reasons-we-cant-wait-for-the-massive-j-c-newman-cigar-co-founders-day-bash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/208435\/","title":{"rendered":"5 reasons we can\u2019t wait for the massive J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Founder\u2019s Day bash"},"content":{"rendered":"

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One of Tampa\u2019s best and biggest annual events is right around the corner with the return of the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Founder\u2019s Day bash<\/a>. The free and family-friendly event in Ybor City is one of the region\u2019s best celebrations of history and culture with live entertainment, historic tours, and fun for all ages.<\/p>\n

Hosted at the historic El Reloj Cigar Factory, the Founder\u2019s Day celebration takes place on Saturday, April 25, from 11 am \u2013 3 pm in and around the historic factory, located at 2701 N 16th St. The mega-sized bash is an annual favorite and this year\u2019s celebration is the biggest one yet, with tons of free and family-friendly activities, plus great food, drink, and of course, cigars. Back to headline the entertainment this year is the Cuban Sandwich Eating Challenge, among much, much more.<\/p>\n

There will also be free parking surrounding the factory, with signs pointing guests to their lots around the neighborhood. It\u2019s important to note that there will be a designated outdoor smoking lounge to enjoy your cigars, but the rest of the celebration is smoke-free due to its family-friendly nature. <\/p>\n

With such a big celebration on hand, here are our top 5 reasons we can\u2019t wait for the J.C. Newman Founder\u2019s Day celebration, in no particular order.<\/p>\n

1. Free cigar factory tours and museum entry<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/p>\n

The J.C. Newman Cigar Co., also known as El Reloj Cigar Factory, is the oldest operating cigar factory in the United States, dating back to 1910. Family-owned, it is a wonderful treat to get a peek inside the factory, as guests can journey inside the beautiful building and step into Tampa\u2019s iconic history as a cigar city. The tour also includes access to the incredible cigar factory museum. Plus, it\u2019s free!<\/p>\n

2. Family-friendly fun<\/p>\n

\"People\"People<\/p>\n

We love a party that\u2019s fun for all ages, and this family-friendly block party checks all the boxes, from energetic kids to cigar-loving adults. Guests will be able to enjoy live music, lawn games, and even take part in MOSI Children\u2019s science experiments.Plus, the Tampa Bay Sun will be on hand for some soccer fun. And again, it\u2019s all free for guests.<\/p>\n

3. Cuban Sandwich Eating Challenge<\/p>\n

\"People\"People<\/p>\n

The main event for the Founder\u2019s Day celebration is the annual Cuban Sandwich Eating Challenge \u2013 again, what could be more Tampa than this? Not only is it fantastic entertainment, but it also features 11-time Nathan\u2019s Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion Miki Sudo and two-time reigning Cuban Sandwich Eating Challenge champion Nick Wehry; they\u2019re also known as The Hungry Couple. Local celebrity competitors include Tom Pestock and Creative Loafing Editor-in-Chief Ray Roa. Like so much else at this community celebration, attendance for the challenge is completely free.<\/p>\n

4. Five-cent Sanchez y Haya cigars<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/p>\n

One of our favorite parts of the annual celebration is that the historic cigar factory recreates the first cigar rolled in Tampa all the way back in 1886, the Sanchez y Haya cigar. Plus, you\u2019re also paying throwback prices: the Sanchez y Haya cigars are only 5 cents each, if you purchase $20 or more from the store (limit two per customer). You can literally taste the history.<\/p>\n

5. Authentic Cuban sandwiches and food trucks<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/p>\n

What\u2019s any good festival without something to eat? The Founder\u2019s Day celebration has an elite lineup of food stands and food trucks, with some of the area\u2019s biggest stars coming to the factory to help celebrate. Featured vendors include Bread on the Bay Cuban Sandwiches, Los Chapos Tacos, Station House BBQ, and Craving Donuts. In sticking with the So Tampa theme, we definitely recommend Bread On The Bay Sandwicheria, a small hidden gem in Ybor City with some of the best Latin, Italian, and American classic sandwiches around.<\/p>\n

All together, this year\u2019s J.C. Newman Founder\u2019s Day celebration is a can\u2019t-miss event, that we certainly can\u2019t wait to attend.\u00a0Learn more about the celebration here<\/a>. Festivities take place on Saturday, April 25, from 11 am \u2013 3 pm in and around the historic factory, located at\u00a02701 N 16th St, with free parking surrounding the area.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of Tampa\u2019s best and biggest annual events is right around the corner with the return of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208436,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-208435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208435\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}