Cigars International has announced it is restructuring its annual CIGARfest event from a single large event to a series of regional events at its Cigars International Super Stores. Cigars International says the decision to restructure CIGARfest comes as Cigars International has grown its customer base across the U.S. and is expanding its retail footprint across the country.

CIGARfest began in 2002 as an annual event held in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains before the COVID-19 pandemic. It grew to become one of the largest consumer events in the U.S. The new regional series of events will occur over a five-week period starting from September 24 and ending October 29th. The CIGARfest events will take place at each of the retail superstores locations in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas. The specific dates for each location have not been announced.

CIGARfest will include multiple cigar brands, exclusive new cigar releases, featured deals, food trucks, live bands every weekend, special appearances by cigar makers and industry personalities, as well as a special “Create Your Own CIGARfest Experience” bundle deal that will be announced soon.

In a press release Sarah Santos, president of Cigars International said, “CIGARfest began as a local customer appreciation event and grew to become one of the biggest and most anticipated cigar events of the year. While we’re proud to have hosted the event 17 times, our business has evolved and so must our way of engaging with our customers. We have therefore reshaped CIGARfest to accommodate the people that support us across the country, instead of activating in just one region.”

Another change is there will be no ticket required to attend. It will be open to the public and Cigars International says valid proof of age will be required for admittance.

Santos added, “Our retail CIGARfest events will allow us to bring the best of CIGARfest to our customers in all of the communities we serve. They are the first step in the evolution of our event platform, as we work to bring the cigar community together and deepen our connection with our customers. My team and I would like to thank our customers and vendors for participating in CIGARfest over the years. We’re excited for them to join us as we take the next step in creating exciting customer appreciation events for ‘CI Nation’ across the U.S.”

Cigars International is a subsidiary of Scandinavian Tobacco Group.