The building housing J.C. Newman Co.’s cigar factory has been a fixture in V.M. Ybor for over a century, and the family behind it is still hard at work sprucing up the block.
Its Cigar Workers Park opened in 2024, and the Newmans are busy restoring the historic Sanchez y Haya building across the street. This weekend—after a week spent celebrating the 140th anniversary of Ybor City and the opening of the “Cigars! Photography, Industry, and Identity” show at Florida Museum of Photographic Arts—the factory welcomes the community for Founder’s Day.
The four-hour celebration marks the founding of J.C. Newman Co. and the birthday of its creator. Free tours of the El Reloj Cigar Factory will happen all day along with other family-friendly activities and local vendors.
A Cuban sandwich eating competition will also go down featuring two teams led separately by iconic wife-and-husband competitive eaters Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry. Sudo is an 11-time Nathans’ Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion who ate 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes in the 2025 contest. Sudo, however, was not able to defeat hubby Wehry (who famously ate 50 hard-boiled eggs in three minutes five years ago) in J.C. Newman’s competitions in 2025 and 2024.
Her teammate in the eight-minute throwdown on Saturday is Tom Pestock, better known as WWE wrestler Baron Corbin. Wehry has been paired with this writer for the competition featuring sandwiches from Bread on the Bay Sandwicheria.
Admission to the museum is free all day—but please smoke any purchased cigars in designated areas.
J.C. Newman’s Founder’s Day
Time
Location J.C. Newman Cigar Company, 2701 N 16th St., Tampa
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This article appears in Apr. 16 – 22, 2026.