It’s a party in Ybor City and everyone’s invited

Ybor City's awesome. Y'all know that, right? And no, not simply because of The Bricks and The Castle. I mean, they up the awesome factor, no doubt, but long before they hit the scene Ybor had some shit going on. Short version: It was sort of the Ellis Island of the south, including German, Italian and (of course) Cuban immigrants. The first Fiesta Day started out as a day of rest (verbena) for the cigar workers. Today, it's a street party and heritage festival with live music, food, and all the trappings of any decent street party. Not so much rest, though — which is fine by us. Resting's for North Tampa, amirite? (just kidding, North Tampa, we think you're great!)

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Fiesta Days | 1600 8th Ave., Ybor City | Feb. 23: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | ybor.org/fiestaday

This article appears in Feb 14-21, 2019.