The Annual Fiesta Day had a perfect day for the event. Thousands of visiting people descended upon Ybor City for the Latin & Italian heritage weekend. Starting out this festival in the early 1900 cigar workers created Fiesta day as a day off to show pride to there new lauded country and celebrate their old one as well. Music, dancing, traditions, friendships and of course all the varieties of food. Today the fiesta events continues.

The Ybor Chamber sponsored day of celebrating ancestry and the friends couldn’t of asked for a better day. The last previous 3 years rain stomped on the event! Chamber President Tom Keating & Michelle K were making sure all events were running smooth and vendors happy and content. The weather hit the mid  80 degree. BB&T had a large mobile ATM banking unit, Krewe of Mamba celebrated in the 7th Ave. GaYBOR District with Salsa music. Fresh Mouth Restaurant was reinvented for the day with roast beef sandwiches. The Italian Club had their homemade Italian Sausage sandwiches and Italian pizza pies!  Since last year a dozen new  businesses & restaurants have appeared in GaYBOR / Ybor City including Carne Chophouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, Ybor City Wine Shop, Dave’s Deli, Row Boat, Bad Monkey, James Joyce Pub and Game Time. Food vendors had an array of all types of aromatic ethnic foods. A collaboration of local businesses, social organizations, non profits and residents made for a most memorable day.

The celebration was also commencing in Centennial Park with the Annual Flan Festival Competition. Sixty plus determined entries vowed to win the bragging rights of the family secret desert. Sometimes it meant businesses competing also.  Ybor Saturday Morning Market Manager Lynn Schultz had the judges, news crews, entry contestants and radio hosts on a tight schedule. The park was surrounded by vendors, food trucks and tents full of crafts.

But the traditional super egg- milk- sugar baked dessert mixture was the envy in everyone’s palate!

Plain Yummy!!!