Smoke Inn Blog
With the COVID pandemic more or less in our rearview mirror and a few rough years behind us, most of us are looking forward to 2023 with guarded optimism. It’s finally safe to come out of our caves again and enjoy public music, live performance and cigar events again. Here’s our look at some of the best cigar events of 2023 so you can start to make your plans.
The Great Smoke 2023: Mardi Gras Madness
March 16th-19th
Obviously there’s no way you can make a complete list of the best cigar events of 2023 and leave out The Great Smoke. Our little shindig is America’s #1 live and virtual cigar event for good reasons. TGS 2023 is an opportunity to access exclusive bespoke cigars made only for this event by some of the industry’s most talented Master Blenders. It’s also a great chance to hear from and even mingle with some of the cigar industry’s heaviest hitters. From Steve Saka to Michael Herklots, Alec and Bradley Rubin, Robert Holt and Rafael Nodal of Altadis Cigars. It’s a meeting of the minds and who’s who of the cigar illuminati. Maybe most of all though, if you’re lucky enough to go in person, it’s an outstanding opportunity to live it up with your herfmates while savoring some killer exclusive cigars.
Tickets for live and virtual The Great Smoke events both are still on sale right here.
The Tampa Cigar Week 2023
March 22nd– 26th
Another of the major Florida cigar events of 2023 is Tampa’s Cigar Week. More of a semi-loosely organized series of small cigar events that happen on the same week in Tampa. They include the Golf Scramble at Tampa’s Rogers Park Golf Course with coffee and donuts, and of course golf and cigars. A get together at the Cigar International cigar lounge, Cuban Club comedy show and Ybor City cigar crawl round out the highlights. Most of the rest of the happenings include get togethers at some of Tampa’s more popular cigar lounges and clubs, like The Cigar Castle and tastings and pairings. Some of the events, like the meet and greet, brunch at Rosebar and the JC Newman facility tour are VIP only, so make sure you’re able to attend the events that interest you most when buying tickets.
Tickets and information on the Tampa Cigar week can be found at: www.thetampacigarweek.com
Queen City Cigar Fest 2023
March 22nd– 26th
The Queen City Cigar Fest is probably the most renowned of the North Carolina cigar events of 2023. Co-hosted by Elegant Plume and Tyson McGlown, it’s kind of a big deal with over 30 sponsors and 1200+ attendees from all over the country. The 4 day even includes a live blues show at the Smoke and Barrel cigar lounge, a get together at the Point Blank Gun Range and a celebrity golf tournament at Old Sycamore. One of the most impressive things we noticed about the 2023 Queen City Fest though, is how well represented women cigar smokers are there. Not only is one of the co-hosts female, but 6 out of the 10 Cigar Fest Ambassadors are female cigar influencers. We love seeing the fairer sex coming on strong, especially in the cigar world, so kudos to the Queen City organizes for representing the cigar queens!
Tickets and information for the 2023 Queen City Cigar Fest can be found at: queencitycigarfest.com
Drew Estate’s Barn Smoker Events
Multiple Dates and Locations (see below)
The Barn Smoker events hosted by Drew Estate are a good time, guaranteed. These 2-day events feature an excellent opportunity to sample some of Drew Estate’s tasty handmade cigars along with great food, beer, wine and more. Naturally there is lots of slick collector swag to be had as well. One of the coolest things about this particular cigar event is that there are actually FIVE separate cigar events in 2023 in 5 different states. We figure that just increases the odds you’ll be able to attend at least one of ‘em.
- Florida Drew Estate’s Barn Smoker Event – May 13-15th
- Pennsylvania Drew Estate’s Barn Smoker Event – Jul. 15-16th
- Connecticut Drew Estate’s Barn Smoker Florida Event – Aug. 12-14th
- Kentucky Drew Estate’s Barn Smoker Florida Event – Sep. 30 – Oct 1st
- Barn Smoker Savage Feast Event in Dallas, Texas – Oct. 21-22nd
You’ll find everything else you need to know at: barnsmoker.com
Cigar Heritage Festival 2023 (Ybor City)
December 2023
One more of the Florida cigar events of 2023 worth mentioning is Ybor City’s Cigar Heritage Festival. Last years event included cigar rolling demonstrations, 2 giant mobile cigar lounges, cigars from around the world on sale, a 30-foot-long beer and wine vending truck, food and drink and more. We’re not clear on if or when this event occurs for 2023 yet, but it’s not until December so you’ve got plenty of time to find out the exact date once it’s announced. If you didn’t already know, Ybor City is part of the Tampa Bay Metro Area.
Last years event page can be found here, we assume it will be updated for 2023 soon: cigarheritagefestival.com/
PuroSabor
January 23rd-27th
Apologies for the short notice on this one, but Nicaragua’s PuroSabor at the end of January is significant for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is that it occurs in Estelí, Nicaragua, which any true cigar aficionado knows is a major center for tobacco cultivation and premium cigar manufacturing. That gives this event some serious street cred and authenticity that’s tough to beat.
We realize not everyone can hop on a plane to Nicaragua, even if it’s for one of the best cigar events of 2023, but if you can, you will be rewarded with an experience you’ll remember for a lifetime. It begins with a day to get acclimated. Then comes a tourism day where you get to explore the local landscape, including beautiful Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. After that, you get to tour a tobacco farm and several famous Estelí cigar factories. Put this one on your calendar for next year, because traveling to Estelí for one of the premier cigar events of the year is definitely one for the bucket list.
Information about Nicaragua’s PuroSabor festival can be found at: nicaraguancigarfestival.com
ProCigar Festival
February 19th-24th
If we piqued your interest in travelling abroad for one of the best cigar events of 2023 with PuroSabor, here’s some good news. You may still be able to make this year’s ProCigar Festival in The Dominican Republic. Hosted by the Dominican cigar manufacturers organization, PROCIGAR and our good friend, Michael Herklots of Ferio Tego, the ProCigar Festival has it all. From in-depth cigar seminars and farm and factory tours to evening bonfire cocktail parties on the beach.
There are few things more rewarding for a true cigar lover than being able to witness with your own eyes where your cigars are born. You’ll get to see it all. From where premium tobacco is grown in rich, loamy Caribbean soil to the curing and hand-rolling process. Because ProCigar organizes the event, it’s like having an all-access pass. You get to tour your choice of EIGHT different cigar factories, including: Tabaclera de Garcia, La Flor Dominicana, De Los Reyes, Davidoff and Montecristo among others.
You’ll find all the pertinent details on the 2023 ProCigar Festival at: procigar.org/procigar-festival/
Smoke Inn is Your Cigar Shop
Hopefully our look at some of the best cigar events of 2023 gave you some ideas and maybe even inspired you to make an appearance at a few of them. If you’re not in Florida or you’re willing to travel, you owe it to yourself to make one of the Drew Estate Barn Smoker events. And if you’re really looking for an experience to remember and stories to tell, try and hit up PuroSabor or ProCigar. If you are unable to travel of course, our The Great Smoke virtual ticket, might be just what you’re looking for. As always, if you’re local or happen to be visiting South Florida, be sure to reward yourself with a visit to one of the country’s best cigar shops in person. We’d love to see you.
Nice Article
Def looking forward to TGS 2023!