Tampa, Florida-based Cigar City Brewing is canceling its popular Hunahpu’s Day festival, which was planned for Friday, due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the coronavirus disease.
“We have decided at this time it is the most responsible action to take for our loyal consumers, our employees, the craft community in addition to the great city of Tampa,” a statement on the brewery’s website said. “We are disappointed that we will not be able to celebrate with some of our biggest fans and fellow brewers as we have done for the past 10 years.”
Originally a celebration to release Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout, Hunahpu’s Day evolved into an invitational beer festival that draws brewers and drinkers to Tampa from across the country. In 2020, it was slated to take place at the Amalie Arena, home of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, as part of the brewery’s partnership with the team.
Ticket prices started at $200; $100 covered festival admission, with the other $100 paying for four bottles of Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout. Attendees can choose between accepting a $100 refund for the festival admission price and picking up their four bottles of the 2020 release, or applying the $100 toward a ticket to next year’s festival, which is a $200 value.
“This is a heartbreaking decision and we are grateful to our fans, fellow brewers, vendors and event partners,” Cigar City wrote.
Several other craft brewers have canceled anniversary celebrations, including Massachusetts’ Wormtown Brewery and Trillium Brewing, among many others.