Espinosa Cancels 2020 La Zona Palooza (Update)
Another popular cigar event has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, as today Espinosa Premium Cigars announced that it is canceling the 2020 installment of its La Zona Palooza event:.
In an email to consumers and media, the company said that it agonized over having to make the decision.
“We know this is disappointing, but we are fully committed to the safety of our staff, attendees, and local residents,” adding that the decision to cancel was made at the last possible opportunity to find a way to make the event happen.
Espinosa holds the event at its offices in Hialeah, Fla., a suburb of Miami, as well as in the surrounding areas of south Florida, which have become a hotspot of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the company said it could not hold the event in good conscience, particularly if it meant that a member of the company or the La Zona family could become a victim.
While the in-person event is off, the company is planning to announce a virtual event that will be a replacement for it. The company will be announcing details about that event on Aug. 15.
This is the second notable cigar consumer event to be canceled or postponed in the last week or so, as RoMa Craft Tobac decided to postpone its WeaselFest event, which had been slated for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, until Memorial Day weekend in 2021.
Update (Oct. 9, 2020) — Espinosa Premium Cigars announced that La Zona Palooza will be a virtual event held from Nov. 12-14. More information can be found at LaZonaPalooza.com.
Patrick Lagreid
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
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