Whether you think lettuce and tomato belong on the Cuban sandwich or not is debatable, but folks from both sides of that heated argument will definitely be in Ybor City for an annual celebration of the Tampeño classic.
The 11th annual Cuban Sandwich Festival returns to Ybor City’s Centennial Park on Sunday, May 29.
In addition to the plethora of pork-stuffed sammies to choose from, there will be local vendors and artists scattered throughout the festival grounds, alongside live music and dancing.
Cubansandwhichfestival.com says there'll be over 50 vendors present at this month’s celebration for the festivities running from noon-6 p.m.
Restaurants from Tampa Bay and beyond travel to the annual festival to battle in its fiercely-contended “Best Cuban Sandwich” competition. Folks even travel from countries like South Korea and England to compete, according to the fest’s website.
Every year, the festival tries to beat its record of the “World’s Longest Cuban Sandwich,” and in 2021 produced a whopping 225 foot-long sandwich.
The festival is free to attend, but if you prefer the VIP experience, you can grab a ticket on eventbrite.com for $80. This upgrade will get you into a shaded VIP-only area, samples of the “best sandwich” contenders, and red carpet photo opportunities.
Judges for this year’s competition include Kissimmee mayor Olga Gonzalez and Cuban-American actor Roberto Escobar, alongside others.
This is a kid and (leashed) dog-friendly festival, as more details can be found on its Facebook at @cubansandwichfestival.
The 11th annual Cuban Sandwich Festival returns to Tampa this month
Ybor City's Centennial Park hosts this yearly celebration of Tampa's beloved sandwich.
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