Amigos de Partagás x Festival del Habano

[oliverdst]

Hey, guys, some say that Festival del Habano can be upsetting (a more expensive Havana, crowded places...). Another "festival" is Encuentro del Amigos del Partagás.

It's unlikely that I will ever attend to Festival del Habanos because it's not my thing overcrowded places if I can go to that place another time (even without Festival) so I am taking in serious consideration about Amigos de Partagas.

Do you have thoughts about this Encuentro? Recommendations?

Thanks

[mk05]

Sarcasm on

Well I would suspect that you'd at least be handed legit Habanos sanctioned swag now.

Sarcasm off

[CanuckSARTech]

Hey, guys, some say that Festival del Habano can be upsetting (a more expensive Havana, crowded places...). Another "festival" is Encuentro del Amigos del Partagás.

It's unlikely that I will ever attend to Festival del Habanos because it's not my thing overcrowded places if I can go to that place another time (even without Festival) so I am taking in serious consideration about Amigos de Partagas.

Do you have thoughts about this Encuentro? Recommendations?

Thanks

Many of us only go down for this timeline / festival, if it has to be during a "sanctioned" time.

Sarcasm on

Well I would suspect that you'd at least be handed legit Habanos sanctioned swag now.

Sarcasm off

I think it's been brought up before, but that's part of what pissed off so many people with last year's fesitivals. The sticks that were being given away (read: excess stock) were pathetic and insulting.

[Ryan]

Hey, guys, some say that Festival del Habano can be upsetting (a more expensive Havana, crowded places...).

I've heard that before and it's an understandable belief but there are 11m people in Cuba, 2m in Havana.

About 1,200 people go to the Habanos festival. Not a single Havana resident I've met, outside of hotels and those in the cigar industry, know that there is a festival on during the festival. Prices don't go up, cigar shops gear up for it. If you're into cigars it's a good time to be there as there are a lot of "cigar people" around. However, no taxi drivers, casa owners, bartenders (with a couple of exceptions) etc. know that there is any cigar festival on.

You don't need to go to any of the official events, thought the opening night isn't too expensive and can be handy for setting things up for later in the week.

The only places where it might be noticable are the Hotel Nacional, which can book out, distributers block book rooms, the "vip" room in the Partagas shop which will be a little smokier and La Guarida restaurant for dinner, cigar clubs tend to go there and distributers lack imagination when it comes to dining out.

Having said that, the Partagas festival is fun too, quieter, cheaper events (if you want to go to the events).

Don't go on the basis of what free cigars you might get at the events, there are plenty of cigars to be had in Havana.

Also, unless you're a real extrovert, if you haven't been to a festival before or know others going, don't go on your own. Festivals can be a little "clique-y" which is understandable as, while there will be lots of very friendly, nice people there, many of them won't have seen each other for a year and won't necessarily want to think they'll have to spend the week helping out "new-guys", even if that's not actually the case. There are notable exceptions, many of them members here. Finding them is the trick.

[oliverdst]

Thanks, Canuck. Thanks, Ryan.

[Nino]

Andy (Ryan) is spot on in his comment.

HAV is not more expensive or overcrowded because of the 1200 FdH participants or the 150 Partagas Encuentro guys.

It's just the venues, the LCDH Casas and some Paladares that have more cigar smokers around.

After attending the last 7-8 Festivals and 1 Encuentro I couldn't care less about the official circus and you won't find me attending an official event unless I have to. To me it's an expensive waste of time.

But : it's a perfect time to be there and meet friends from all-over ( many sharing the same attitude towards the circus ) and arrange a private programme with them where you will see, learn and experience immensely more than you will the "official" way.

Having time on my hands I try to be there a week before and stay a week after to relax, that way you also get your hands on any boxes that might have surfaced for the FdH and you can tour the Casas in a more relaxed way.

Having said that, if you can join a Brazilian cigar group for your first visit, it will give you a better perspective than doing it on your own - that can be very confusing for a first-timer.

Or, if you go to HAV, try to time it with some of the guys here on this board - I'm sure they'd share their experience with you and take you along.

[oliverdst]

Thanks, Nino. I will try to go to Encuentro next year.

[oliverdst]

Couldn't find this info somewhere else so posted here.

Probably most of you know but I heard Festival in 2014 will be during the 24/feb - 02/mar week.

[Nino]

Couldn't find this info somewhere else so posted here.

Probably most of you know but I heard Festival in 2014 will be during the 24/feb - 02/mar week.

That was 2013.

The 2014 Festival is 24-28.02.

See :

[oliverdst]

As I wasn't sure about the exactly day I preferred to say the whole week.

Thank's, Nino.