Guavaween

Guavaween

Last Saturday of October

Guavaween is a parade and block party with a Latin flavor in Ybor City, a two-square-mile area in Tampa, Fla. Ybor City grew around the cigar factory established in 1886 by Cuban Vicente Martínez Ybor. From the steps of the factory, JosÉ Martí (1853-1895), sometimes called the George Washington of Cuba, exhorted the cigar workers to take up arms against Spain.
The area still has a Latin flavor, and Guavaween is an event to celebrate the culture and have a good time. The "guava" stands for the tropical American fruit, while the "ween" alludes to the festival's resemblance to Halloween, also observed around this time of year. The parade, with 20 to 50 bands, is led by a woman portraying the mythical "Mama Guava" doing the "Mama Guava Stumble." Many paraders wear costumes lampooning national figures. After the early evening parade, there is partying until the wee hours. Attendance is about 150,000.

CONTACTS:
Ybor City Chamber of Commerce
1800 E. 9th Ave.
Tampa, FL 33605
813-248-3712; fax: 813-247-1764
www.ybor.org

Celebration days: Oct 29, 2011; Oct 27, 2012; Oct 26, 2013; Oct 25, 2014; Oct 31, 2015