Get ready for the fiesta of the year as Ybor City prepares for the 72ndAnnual Fiesta Day on February 23rd! Celebrating and paying homage to all of the beautiful cultures that were brought to Ybor City in the late 1800s, the celebration will feature the music, food, art and everything in between of Cuban, Italian, Spanish, Jewish and German descent.
Known as the “Cigar City Capital of the World”, Ybor City was literally established by these immigrants as it became the hub for thriving cigar factories. In fact, it is known that the Cuban sandwich was actually invented in the streets of Ybor by cigar factory workers who just needed a quick snack. The Columbia Restaurant is an establishment that has brought flavor, color, and life to the Ybor City community serving elaborately delicious authentic Spanish meals.
The free event is predicted to welcome 10,000 guests to “La Setima”, (the seventh in English), or 7thAvenue, which is closed to traffic for the celebration. It will start at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 6:00 p.m, so you have the whole day to get over there and soak up all the history and culture the Ybor City has to offer.
There will be so many attractions you won’t wanna miss, like the Mariachi Loco Band, La France Fashion Show, Flamenco Dancing, Salsa Dancing, and even the Matinee Opera Singers. There will also be a promenade of flags parade at 1 p.m. This family-friendly event will be an opportunity to learn about this rich history and have fun while you do it!
There will be four stages with live entertainment, live art from local artists, vendors of all kinds, and even Ybor City history tours. Some of the vendors will be Gelati di Gioia serving authentic Italian artisan gelato, New York New York Pizza, and Boriquen, serving delicious Puerto Rican food. Centro Ybor is where the main stage will be and all of the entertainment. Other stages are the Krewe of Italia, Krewe of Mambi and the Gaucho Association.
If you have a business and would like to participate in the event, it is $150 for arts and crafts, vendors, $250 for food vendors and $350 for corporate vendors. There are also sponsorship opportunities: $500 for local sponsors, $1,000 for block sponsors, $2,500 for entertainment sponsors, $5,000 for partner sponsorships, and $10,000 for presenting sponsorships.
If you would like more information on how to get involved you can contact Deb Hargreaves at DHargreaves@ybor.org or call (813) 248-3712.
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