ProCigar Wraps Up 15th Festival In The Dominican Republic
In the height of carnival season, when the streets of Santiago are overtaken by colorful processions of dancing devils and other costumed characters, another celebration in the Dominican Republic is underway. It may be more subdued, but its revelers are no less passionate and the central theme has less to do with pre-Lent debauchery and more to do with the appreciation of premium cigars. The 15th ProCigar Festival wrapped up last week in Santiago, and it attracted more than 450 guests from around the world.
Sandwiched in between the Nicaraguan cigar festival that took place last month and Cuba’s Festival del Habano, which kicked off yesterday, ProCigar is a cultural celebration and true showcase for the country’s handmade cigar industry. It’s a week when cigarmakers and brand owners open up their tobacco fields and cigar factories to visitors, all with a single aim: to bring awareness to the country’s greatest artisanal product. The festival is also an opportunity for fans of Dominican cigars to meet the people behind their favorite smokes. Access and congeniality have always been trademarks of the event, which drew newcomers and longtime attendees alike.
The format of the festival is quite simple. By day, it’s a trip to verdant tobacco fields and bustling cigar factories. By night, it’s a festive dinner party where the industry and the festival visitors converge for an evening of cigars, food, libations, loud music and dancing. The atmosphere is quite casual and the tours are typically educational without being overly technical.
There isn’t a single major Dominican producer of handmade cigars that doesn’t participate, and guests are given a choice as to which manufacturers they wish to visit. This year, 11 companies offered tours, helping to demystify the often-guarded process that goes into producing a handmade smoke. For some, the festival is a trip for the culturally curious. For others, it’s a true pilgrimage giving hardcore cigar fans the chance to get closer to their favorite brands. Whichever the case, guests were able to choose their itinerary each day from the following companies: Altadis U.S.A., Arturo Fuente Cigar Co., Davidoff of Geneva, De Los Reyes, E.P. Carrillo Cigar Co., General Cigar Co., La Aurora Cigars, La Flor Dominicana, PDR Cigars, Quesada Cigars and Tabacalera Palma.
Evening events were all themed and by the end of each day, guests were given more cigars than they could carry. Each tour offers more than enough cigars to last the duration of the field or factory trip, and every attendee is handed an additional box as they walk into each gala, showcasing the work of the participating manufacturers.
The entire festival ends in a formal event at the Centro Español in Santiago where an auction is held for rare humidors and cigars. This year, ProCigar raised $440,000—a record amount. The proceeds will benefit three charities: Voluntariado Jesús con los Niños (a non-profit organization for ill children), the Hospicio San Vicente de Paúl (a retirement home for low income elders) and ProCigar’s initiative “A Home for My Family,” which provides housing for struggling employees of the Dominican Republic’s cigar industry.
Formed in 1992, ProCigar is an organization dedicated to maintaining the quality standards and international reputation of Dominican cigars.
