Recently, Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing announced some major changes related to Hunahpu’s Day. The major question from inquiring minds is: “How will this year’s festival be different from past years?”
To answer this, Florida Beer News sat down with the media crew at Cigar City Brewing and talked over some of the major changes.
1. The new site. The festival is moving off site for the first time in its history. Not only did Cigar City Brewing outgrow the space, but the parking lot is going to get smaller thanks to some construction plans the brewery has in place. CCB’s Director of Customer Interaction, Chris Lovett, put it best: “We felt that this event is better than a parking lot fest.”
2. More beer. The new space will allow Cigar City Brewing many liberties in the planning stages, namely inviting more breweries. The festival will now include over 140 breweries bringing their beer to serve to attendees. As if that was not enough, the Cigar City family (Cigar City Brewing, Brewpub, Cider & Mead, and Airport) will be bringing at least 75 taps of beer to this event. Numerous breweries from around the world are attending for the first time, including the Dunedin Brewery.
3. More food options. The CCB team confirms that “substantially more food options” will be available at the new Hunahpu’s Day. Each attendee will receive four tapas tickets to redeem from over a dozen food vendors.
4. New ticket options. Previously, the event was a one-size-fits-all bottle sale that left some folks happy and some folks upset at the number of bottles that they could buy at the event. This year, as with last year, the number of bottles are guaranteed with ticket sales. This year’s ticket prices are:
– $200, which includes 4 bottles of Hunahpu’s® Imperial Stout
– $300, which includes 8 bottles of Hunahpu’s® Imperial Stout
– $400, which includes 12 bottles of Hunahpu’s® Imperial Stout (exclusive to El Catador Club members only)
5. New rules. This year’s festival does not include glassware or bottle shares. Glass is prohibited in Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park, and Tampa Police will be present to enforce this rule. No glass also means no bottle shares. Cigar City Brewing staff is adamant on this point. So adamant that they insist that any bottles will be confiscated and the brewery staff will periscope a staff-only bottle share where confiscated beers are enjoyed. The staff urge attendees not to be “that guy.”
6. Privileges for Catador members. Catador members will have access to an exclusive ticket package and first option to buy tickets. Tickets will be on sale to members of the 2nd Edition of the Catador Club first.
7. New Partners. The Tampa Downtown Partnership, Tampa Parks and Recreation, The Tampa Bay History Center, WMNF, and the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel are all excited to partner with Cigar City Brewing to make Hunahpu’s Day possible. Each partner is helping in their own special way. WMNF will be DJing the onsite music. Hunahpu’s bottles will be picked up at the Tampa Marriott Waterside hotel.
8. The Spruce Street Tasting Room will be open normal hours. Hunahpu’s Day has always presented a challenge to the tasting room, in 2016 the brewery will be business as usual.
9. Hotel rooms and alternate transportation will be highly encouraged. Since the festival is going to be in one of the busiest parts of Tampa, plenty of hotel space is available for festivalgoers. Room rates for hotels in the area as well as Uber/Lyft specials are forthcoming.
As the event continues to grow, so does local excitement surrounding the event, as it looks to be bigger and better than each previous year. As Hunahpu’s Day 2016 looks to be the biggest event that CCB has planned, the biggest question seems to be: Who’s in?