古巴和尼加拉瓜今年因為疫情原因都取消了年度雪茄節，但是都沒有阻止多米尼加雪茄節的舉辦。如今派對又回來了，來自世界各地的雪茄愛好者渴望回到伊斯帕尼奧拉島參加這個新冠病毒大流行以來的第一個主流雪茄節。

Procigar總裁亨克·凱爾納（ Henke Kelner）說，我們分析了國家有關部門提供的統計信息，判斷舉辦這個雪茄節是安全可靠的。Procigar雪茄節組織會采取所有控制措施，確保公民的身體健康。

2021年度的多米尼加Procigar雪茄節由于疫情的原因取消了，但上周第14屆雪茄節如期舉辦。和2020年的雪茄節參加人數差不多，這次雪茄節吸引了來自20多個國家的450名國際客人。還有400名當地參會者，絕大多數是行業人士。預計總出席人數超過850人。所有參加雪茄節的人員必須出示新冠病毒疫苗接種紀錄，或者出具陰性的核酸檢測報告。

自從2008年舉辦首屆雪茄節以來，Procigar雪茄節一直是近距離觀察和接觸多米尼加共和國優質雪茄行業的展覽活動。在活動中，你可以在風景如畫的煙草田郊游，可以結伴在雪茄廠參觀卷制過程，每晚都有行業人士召集和參與的可以抽茄的晚餐。多米尼加溫暖的天氣可以讓這個雪茄節變成冬季的度假勝地。參加活動的客人們從雪茄節現場得到的派發雪茄要比他們自己攜帶的多得多。無論白天還是夜晚，活動中都是可以不間斷的抽茄的。

這個活動的最大魅力是可以親眼見到一些多米尼加雪茄行業幕后的大佬，從小卡洛斯·富恩特、力圖·戈麥斯到威廉·萊昂，從喬奇·布蘭科到馬諾洛·奎薩達、尼卡·雷耶斯。他們會親自帶著你走過雪茄車間參觀整個生產過程。

每天，客人都可以在幾個方案里自行選擇行程。今年參加的雪茄制造商包括：多米尼加之花、雷耶斯雪茄、通用雪茄、阿塔迪斯雪茄、EPC雪茄、奎薩達雪茄、拉奧羅拉雪茄、阿圖羅·富恩特雪茄、帕爾馬雪茄、PDR雪茄。周五是雪茄節的田園日，這天你可以在煙葉田旁邊的空地和雪茄制造商們見面，可以在搭起的帳篷下抽茄。

過去幾屆雪茄節是從拉羅馬納（La Romana ）的坎普之家度假村（ Casa de Campo resort ）開始的，以海灘活動和參加阿塔迪斯公司的加西亞雪茄廠為特色。但是今年的雪茄節時間較短，從多米尼加的圣地亞哥開始，這里是多米尼加的雪茄制造業中心。

除了3月1日晚上的正式晚宴和慈善拍賣外，其他所有的活動氛圍都非常輕松。晚宴是在圣地亞哥的西班牙中心舉辦的。今年的拍賣會展示了一系列珍稀的雪茄保濕盒，最為募集到35萬美元，將捐贈給三家慈善機構。

這三家機構是：Voluntariado Jesús con los Ni?os（與孩子們一起志愿服務耶穌：幫助生病的兒童）、Sociedad San Vincent de Paul（保羅的圣文森特協會：幫助低收入老年人）和 A Home For My Family（家庭之屋：幫助Procigar雪茄協會的成員組織中的員工）。

ProCigar 成立于 1992 年，是一個致力于維護多米尼加雪茄質量標準和國際聲譽的組織。多米尼加的主要雪茄制造商都是Procigar的成員。

附參考原文：

Cuba canceled its cigar festival this year. So did Nicaragua. But neither setback deterred ProCigar, and in the Dominican Republic, the party was back. Cigar fans came from all over the world eager to return to the island of Hispaniola for the Dominican Republic's cultural celebration of premium tobacco and the first major cigar festival since the start of the pandemic.?

“We analyzed all the statistical information from the state agencies responsible for preserving the health of citizens, so we knew it was safe and possible to hold the festival,” assured ProCigar president Henke Kelner. “ProCigar has a commitment towards our sector, we took all control measures, and we achieved it.”

While canceled in 2021 due to Covid-19, ProCigar held its 14th festival last week, and according to the organization, it attracted around 450 international guests from more than 20 countries—about the same numbers as the last ProCigar festival in 2020. Along with 400 local attendees, most of whom are in the industry, ProCigar estimates total attendance to have reached 850 people. All guests had to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test.

Since its premiere in 2008, the ProCigar festival has served as an up-close, behind-the scenes exhibition of the Dominican Republic’s premium cigar industry, offering picturesque outings to tobacco fields and bustling factory tours that demystify the entire cigarmaking process. Every evening ends with the industry convening for a smoke-friendly gala dinner. The weather makes this festival a warm, mid-winter escape, and guests are typically given more cigars than they can carry. Naturally, smoking is constant throughout every event, day or night.?

One of the largest draws is being able to meet the men and women behind some of the world’s most famous cigars. Everyone from Carlos Fuente Jr., Guillermo Leon and Jochy Blanco to Litto Gomez, Manolo Quesada and Nirka Reyes are there to personally give tours and walk you through the entire production process.

Each day, guests are given a choice of itinerary, and this year’s participating manufacturers included: La Flor Dominicana, De Los Reyes Cigars, General Cigar Co., Altadis U.S.A., E. P. Carrillo, Quesada Cigars, La Aurora, Arturo Fuente Cigar Co., Tabacalera Palma and PDR Cigars. If you missed a tour during the week, Friday served as the ProCigar Field Day, a leisurely morning and afternoon where you could meet the cigarmakers and puff away under a tent set up on a tobacco field.

Past ProCigar festivals have started in La Romana at the Casa de Campo resort and featured beach activities and a tour of Altadis’ Tabacalera de Garcia factory, but this year, the festival was a bit shorter, beginning right in Santiago, which is the epicenter of the Dominican Republic’s cigarmaking industry.?

All the events have a fairly casual air, save for the formal evening dinner and charity auction on the last night, which has always been held at the Centro Espa?ol in Santiago. This year’s auction showcased an array of rare and one-of-a-kind humidors, ultimately raising $350,000 for three charities: Voluntariado Jesús con los Ni?os (to benefit ill children), Sociedad San Vincent de Paúl (to help low-income seniors) and A Home For My Family, a housing program initiated by ProCigar to assist the struggling employees of its member companies.

Formed in 1992, ProCigar is an organization dedicated to maintaining the quality standards and international reputation of Dominican cigars. Every major manufacturer of premium cigars in the Dominican Republic is part of ProCigar.