Cigar Event: CIGARFest 2018 in The Poconos, PA
Introduction
Cigars International‘s CIGARfest 2018 takes place from Thursday, May 3rd, 2018 through Sunday, May 6th, 2018 at various locations in Pennsylvania. Most of the events take place at Split Rock Resort in Lake Harmony, PA. This is the 15th year for the event and CIGARfest is one of the biggest cigar events in the world with 6,000 attendees. If you have not attended, you should try to attend, although the 6,000 tickets sell out in seconds when they go on sale. Pay close attention to the information on how to buy tickets in the Tickets section below as it is a real bitch to get tickets.
UPDATE: The tickets sold out in seconds. There were a lot of complaints about the sales process on social media. Lots of folks complained the tickets were sold out immediately leaving them in the dust. I suspect thousands of us hit the site at the same time and the site was not prepared for the traffic. Also, a few wankers bought tickets and then put them up for sale on various ticket reseller sites. Asshats. The confirmation process was scary, to say the least. Once I was able to finalize my order and selected “Complete”, I was sent back to the same purchase screen and had no idea if I actually purchased tickets. Upon closer inspection, the page indicated which of the various events that I was able to buy a ticket for. For example, I wanted tickets for the Davidoff White Label Dinner but they were sold out. If I had to guess, the tickets were reserved for VIPs of Cigars International and cigar manufacturers before tickets went on sale to the public. Lame. A few days later, I received an email stating there was an issue with my credit card. I called immediately and was told there was an issue with the purchase process. I gave my credit card to the customer service representative and sealed the deal. In sum, the purchase process sucked ass and I hope Cigars International will take a better approach next year.
Smokey and I have been to this event multiple times over the years. Check out our coverage of CIGARfest 2016 and CIGARfest 2010.
This is a long ass post as there are tons of events at CIGARfest 2018.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, May 3rd, 2018:
- Open Play Golf with Oliva, Split Rock Country Club
- Drew Estate Event, Cigars International Hamburg Super-Store
- CAO Event with Ricky Rodriguez, Cigars International Downtown Store
- Perdomo Event, Cigars International, Bethlehem Super-Store
- Pig Roast Chowdown & Minute-to-Win-It Showdown Experience, CIGARfest Dining Tent
Friday, May 4th, 2018:
- CIGARfest Main Event #1, Split Rock Resort
- Open Play Golf, Split Rock Country Club
- Alec Bradley Event, Cigars International Hamburg Super-Store
- Downtown Plinko, Cigars International Downtown Store
- Oliva Event, Cigars International Bethlehem Super-Store
- Davidoff White Label Dinner, Split Rock Country Club
- Bales & Ales 2.0, CIGARfest Dining Tent
Saturday, May 5th, 2018:
- CIGARfest Main Event #2, Split Rock Resort
- Oliva Golf Tournament, Split Rock Country Club
- Oliva Event, Cigars International Hamburg Super-Store
- CLE and Asylum Event, Cigars International Bethlehem Super-Store
- The Mystery Sale: Part 1, Cigars International Downtown Store
Sunday, May 6th, 2018:
- Humidor Sale, Cigars International Bethlehem Super-Store
- The Mystery Sale: Part 2, Cigars International Downtown Store
- Bloody Sunday, Cigars International Super-Store
Event Details
CIGARfest Main Event
The CIGARfest Main Event takes place on both May 4th and 5th, 2018 at the Split Rock Resort, Lake Harmony, PA from 10:30 am – 6:00 pm. What can I say about the Main Event? It is incredible and worth every penny with 50 of the biggest cigar manufacturers, cigarlebrities, live music, food, beer, spirits, oh, and did I mention, cigars? Yep, you’ll receive up to 100 cigars depending on the ticket level you purchase. You’ll also receive a humidor, an ashtray, and a bunch of other cool cigar swag! You can also buy a CIGARfest 2018 shirt and cap, and also receive more cigars and swag! Ticket details are below.
Open Play Golf with Oliva
Open Play Golf is hosted by Oliva at the Split Rock Country Club, Lake Harmony, PA on May 3rd and May 4th, 2018 from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm. The event includes 18 holes of golf, Oliva cigars, and lunch at the Halfway Cafe. The event costs $80 per person and includes greens fees, golf cart, buffet lunch, and a cigar sampler. Make your reservation by visiting www.golfsplitrock.com or calling 570-722-9901.
Drew Estate Event
The Drew Estate Event takes place at the Cigars International Super-Store in Hamburg, PA on May 3rd, 2018 from 9:00 am – 11:00 pm. The Drew Estate gang will be there including Willy Herrera, Pedro Gomez, and the biggest cigarlebrity of all, Johnathan Drew. Drew Estate will hand out gift cards to the first 100 people through the door at 9:00 am. Cigars International will offer drink specials throughout the day and a limited quantity of Drew Estate cigars for $1 starting at 5:00 pm. Drew Estate will also officially launch a new Liga Privada cigar and will be available in limited quantities. The event is free and open to the public.
CAO Event
The CAO Event takes place at the Cigars International Downtown Store in Bethlehem, PA on May 3rd, 2018 from 9:30 am – 11:00 pm. Ricky Rodriguez from CAO hosts the event and there will be tons of special prices on CAO cigars. The event is free and open to the public.
Perdomo Event
The Perdomo Event takes place at the Cigars International Bethlehem Super-Store in Bethlehem, PA on May 3rd, 2018 from 10:00 am – 9:00 pm. The illustrious and well-dressed Nick Perdomo will be on hand with event-only deals. Wear your best suit to compete with Nick. The event is free and open to the public.
Pig Roast Chowdown & Minute-to-Win-It Showdown Experience
This event takes place at the CIGARfest Dining Tent and includes food, drink, music, cigars, and more. The event takes place on May 3rd, 2018 from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The Minute-to-Win-It games gives you a chance to win prizes including free trips to Miami, Connecticut, and CIGARfest 2019. There are only 500 tickets available at a cost of $45 in advance or $70 at the door.
Alec Bradley Event
Alec Bradley is hosting an event at the Cigars International Hamburg Super-Store in Hamburg, PA from 9:00 am – 11:00 pm on May 4th, 2018. Alec Bradley cigars representatives will be on hand to offer great deals. This event is free and open to the public.
Downtown Plinko
I have no idea what the hell Plinko is but Cigars International is hosting a Plinko event at the Downtown Store in Bethlehem, PA on May 4th, 2018 from 9:30 am – 9:00 pm. With every $50 you spend on cigars, you’ll receive a Plinko chip for a chance to win free cigars, accessories, and swag. This event is free and open to the public.
Oliva Events
Oliva is hosting an event at the Cigars International Super-Store in Bethlehem, PA on May 4th from 10:00 am – 9:00 pm and at the Cigars International Super-Store in Hamburg, PA from 9:00 am – 11:00 pm on May 5th, 2018. Oliva will offer great deals on their brands. This event is free and open to the public.
Davidoff White Label Dinner
Davidoff is sponsoring an evening of food, spirits, and you guessed it, cigars! The event takes place at the Split Rock Country Club, Lake Harmony, PA on May 4th, 2018 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. There are limited seats and the cost is $75 in advance or $100 at the door.
Bales & Ales 2.0
Bales & Ales 2.0 is a free event that is open to the public. The event takes place at the CIGARfest Dining Tent at the Split Rock Resort, Harmony, PA on May 4th, 2018 from 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm. There will be tons of cigar deals, beer samplings, auctions, raffle prizes and live music. Also, Macanudo will discuss the tobaccos found in their Inspirado White and Black, and La Gloria Cubano will teach you how to roll a cigar. Did I mention this event is FREE!?
Oliva Golf Tournament
The Oliva Golf Tournament is sponsored by, well, Oliva. Duh! The event takes place on May 5th, 2018 from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Split Rock Country Club, Lake Harmony, PA. There is a shotgun start at 8:00 am for an 18-hole scramble-style tournament. Tickets cost $80 and include cigars, greens fees, golf cart, and a buffet lunch. The top three golfers receive a prize. They will also hand out prizes for the longest drive, straightest drive, and closest to the pin. Register at www.golfsplitrock.com or call 570-722-9901.
CLE and Asylum Event
The CLE and Asylum Event takes place on Saturday, May 5th, 2018 from 9:30 am – 9:00 pm at the Cigars International Super-Store in Bethlehem, PA. This event is free and open to the public.
The Mystery Sale: Part 1 and Part 2
The Mystery Sale Part 1 takes place at the Cigars International Downtown Store, Bethlehem, PA on May 5th, 2018 from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm. Part 2 takes place at the same location from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Want to know more? It’s a mystery to me.
Humidor Sale
From 10-:00 am – 5:00 pm on May 6th, 2018, humidors are on sale at the Cigars International Super-Store in Bethlehem, PA. From 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, humidors are discounted 20% and from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, humidors are discounted 30%. This event is free and open to the public.
Bloody Sunday
You survived CIGARfest 2018. Well, almost. Head to the Cigars International Super-Store in Hamburg, PA from 10:00 am – 7:00 pm to try a few of the 14 different Bloody Mary drinks. From 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, humidors are discounted 20% and from 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm, humidors are discounted 30%. This event is free and open to the public.
Tickets
Now that you are dying to go to the event, here’s the bad news. Tickets sell out in seconds and your chance of getting tickets is not assured. In past years, the tickets sold out in seconds! To ensure you have a chance, you must pre-register. Pre-registration is open now and by pre-registering, you can try to beat the clock when tickets go on sale. To pre-register, visit the CIGARfest pre-registration site HERE.
There are three levels of tickets for the CIGARfest main events: CIGARnut, Very Important Herfer (VIH), and General Admission. Additionally, you can purchase an official shirt and cap, and receive more free cigars and swag.
General Admission
General Admission tickets cost $180 and allow you to enter the event at 2:30 pm. For your hard earned cash, you receive a CIGARfest 2018 humidor, 30 premium cigars, 50+ additional premium cigars during the event, a commemorative CIGARfest 2018 ashtray, liquor and beer samples, a variety of food, live music, and a chance to participate in a raffle with tens of thousands of dollars in prizes.
VIH
VIH tickets cost $225 and allow you to enter the event at 12:30 pm. You receive all of the perks provided with a General Admission ticket.
CIGARnut
CIGARnut tickets cost $275 and allow you to enter four hours early at 10:30 am. In addition to all the perks of the General Admission ticket, you receive a full breakfast at 9:00 am, drinks at the JC Newman Bloody Mary bar, and CIGARnut only raffle giveaways.
CIGARfest 2018 Shirt
You can pre-purchase a CIGARfest 2018 official shirt for $59.99. If you wear the shirt to the Main Event, you’ll receive 12 additional premium cigars from Oliva, a Lotus 3-Eleven laser torch, a Colibri Firebird Viper glow-in-the-dark v-cutter, and two Cigars International shot glasses.
CIGARfest 2018 Cap
You can pre-purchase a CIGARfest 2018 official cap for $24.99. If you wear the cap to the Main Event, you’ll receive 10 additional premium cigars from Rocky Patel, including Decade, Edge, 20th Aniversary, Super Ligero, and more.
Main Event Strategy
Smokey and I have been to the Main Event multiple times over the years and have learned a few things that might make your experience more enjoyable. When the doors open, the masses take their cigar coupon book and head off to get their free cigars wandering from booth to booth. The lines are long and your time goes fast. By the time you finish getting your cigars, the food is mostly gone. The alcohol is mostly gone, and the seats are taken by folks lounging around for hours. Our secret is to head to the food and drink first, and then pick up our cigars after the crowd dies down.
We’ll see you there! Hopefully. If we get tickets. And you If you get tickets.
UPDATE: Smokey and I were able to score tickets at the VIH level! We decided that from past experience we really did not need the extra time provided by the CIGARnut level tickets.
Hello Ci,
Just wondering how many tickets were sold for the Friday CigarNut package. Six of us are going and want to know how packed the room will be. First time for the morning event.
Thanks,
George
Oh I always do the nut. The room isn’t packed its very comfortable to breeze through.
The Cigar Fest is quite an event!! We wanted to let attendees know that Peaceful Woodlands Campground is about 10 minutes from Split Rock Lodge and is a great base for all Cigar fest activities and a quiet and relaxing place to return to after great day!
I was able to get 3 extra Cigarfest general Admission for Saturday May 5, plus Hat and Shirt and the associated tickets. anyone interested?
Hello! Do you still have hat and t shirts?
I’m not 100% sure. I recommend you either call or email Cigars International directly. You can reach them at 888-244-2790 or smiley@cigarsinternational.com. Good luck!
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