Habanos S.A. has formally announced the dates and program notes of the Festival del Habano XVII, happening Feb. 23-27, 2015 in Havana, Cuba.

The Festival will feature a focus on two of the largest Cuban marcas, Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo. The former will be featured in this year’s Gran Reserva Cosecha cigar release on the first day of the festival, with a special 80th Anniversary cigar created for the latter of the two brands to be unveiled on Feb. 27.

La Casa del Habano, the official retailer of Habanos S.A., is also celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special dinner on Feb. 25th to honor the 146 franchises of the store around the world.

The Festival will also feature the annual Humidor Auction to raise money for the Cuban healthcare system, a visit to tobacco fields in Pinar del Río and cigar factories in Havana, a trade fair, international Habanosommelier contest and seminars on food and wine pairings for Cuban cigars.

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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 and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, 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.