Habanos S.A. announced today that the 15th Habanos Festival will be held from February 26 – March 2, 2013. While the dates are similar to this year’s Festival, Habanos noted that the event is shifting to a Tuesday – Saturday schedule, as opposed to the more common Monday – Friday format.

Attendees to the Festival begin their week with a welcome dinner, with the week including trips to Pinar del Rio, the prime tobacco growing region in Cuba, as well as a trade show, seminars, the International Habanosomellier Contest, visits to historic cigar factories, blind tastings, pairings, and a Master Class on cigar rolling techniques.

The week concludes with an extravagant dinner that includes the traditional humidor auction, with proceeds benefiting the Cuban Public Health System. Last year’s auction brought in over $963,000.

Several new cigars are also unveiled during the Festival, including the three new Edición Limitadas and the new Gran Reserva.

Further details, including reservation information will be posted on the Habanos SA website in November, with registration for the event likely beginning in January.

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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.