Festival scheduled for area stogie lovers

Club Macanudo at Margaritaville Resort & Casino in Bossier City is hosting the first of what it hopes will be an annual event for cigar lovers on Sept. 28.

Bayou Cigar Fest 2024 is planned as “a day of indulgence and camaraderie,” according to the Club’s information about the event.

Austin Ihm, marketing director for Southern Smoke Cigar Company, the local face of the Club Macanudo franchise, said this year’s edition will be exclusive and limited to 150 ticket holders.

‘We’re going to give away eight handpicked, hand-rolled cigars to everyone who comes,” Ihm said.

“We’re really just trying to have a fun night. The hors d’oeuvres are going to be super. We’re going for that upscale, have some drinks, smoke cigars, have some fun by the pool at the casino.”

Christopher Weaver of Southern Smoke said, “We will be introducing some limited and rare cigars, some of which are exclusive to Club Macanudo. We’re planning to do a bigger event next year, but we wanted this year’s to be more intimate.”

Tickets are available online for the event, which will be held in the space that opened earlier this year. The facility is designed for maximum comfort and appeal, with a unique air handling system that keeps the atmosphere from becoming overpowering. Joe Salpietra, one of the club’s principals, described the venue as a destination. “It’s not a bar crowd. It’s a club/lounge crowd. Cigar lounges are where you can sit down and have a good conversation with someone.”

The club promises a curated selection of cigars to deliver a “top-notch experience” for the palate. Attendees will also receive two drink tickets designed to complement the cigar selections.

There will also be a raffle during the evening for one of five prize packages designed to appeal to cigar enthusiasts.

Ticket holders will receive a bonus gift when they check-in for the event and have access to exclusive items from the club’s vendors as souvenirs of the evening, which will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets cost $150 and are available online and at the club.

For more information, go to https://www.bayoucigarfest.com.