J.C. Newman Cigar Co. made a rare cigar-centric appearance at this year’s Gasparilla Parade of Pirates, reintroducing cigarmaking to one of Tampa’s longest-running cultural events.
Tampa’s cigar history dates back to 1886, while the Gasparilla celebration has been held annually since 1904. The parade, which is considered one of the largest in the United States, drew an estimated 300,000 spectators along Bayshore Boulevard as hundreds of floats passed through the city.
J.C. Newman’s float was designed as a replica of its historic El Reloj cigar factory, the last traditional cigar factory still operating in the United States. As the float moved along the parade route, attendees were able to watch a cigar roller hand roll José Gaspar cigars onboard. The float also included longtime J.C. Newman employees and the reigning 2025 Miss Tampa, Alexandra de Roos.
“Cigars and Gasparilla have been essential parts of Tampa’s identity for more than 100 years,” said Drew Newman, fourth-generation owner of J.C. Newman. “We wanted to bring them together by rolling José Gaspar cigars as well as being featured in the Gasparilla parade.”
While cigars have long been associated with Gasparilla’s pirate-themed festivities, cigar-themed floats have been absent from the parade for decades. According to J.C. Newman, the most recent known images of a cigar float at Gasparilla date back to the 1960s.
“We hand rolled cigars on our float because we wanted to show all of the paradegoers the art and tradition of premium cigars,” Newman said.
Newman also expressed interest in expanding the float’s appearances beyond Gasparilla, noting the possibility of participation in additional parades and even a future appearance at the Premium Cigar Association trade show in Las Vegas.
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