FORD CUBAN SANDWICH FOOD & ART FESTIVAL
  • CubanSandwich Fest
    • Cuban Sandwiches in the News
    • 2023 Festivals >
      • 2023 Participation
      • Three Kings / 3 Reyes Festival
      • Ft Myers Ford Cuban Sandwich Festival
    • 2022 VOTING PAGE
    • Event Map 2022
    • 2022 Become a SPONSOR! >
      • Basic Sponsorships
      • Premium Sponsorships
    • Participate in CSF >
      • Get YOUR VIP Tickets
      • CONTEST OPPORTUNITIES
      • FORD Kissimmee Cuban Sandwich Festival >
        • Kissimmee Cuban Sandwich Contest
        • FORD Kissimmee CSF FOOD, CULTURAL & NON-PROFIT VENDORS
        • FORD Kissimmee CSF Business Opportunities
        • Kissimmee CSS: Store
      • 11th Annual FORD CSF Ybor >
        • YBOR Cuban Sandwich Contest
        • FORD Intl CSF Business Opportunities
        • FORD Intl CSF Sponsorship Opportunieis
        • 11th Annual FORD Intl CSF: Store
      • FORD Jacksonville Cuban Sandwich & Taste of Latino Festival >
        • Jacksonville Cuban Sandwich Contest
        • FORD Jacksonville CSF FOOD, CULTURAL & NON-PROFIT VENDORS
        • FORD Jacksonville CSF Business Exhibitor Vendor
      • FORD SW Florida Cuban Sandwich & Taste of Latino Festival >
        • SW FLORIDA Cuban Sandwich Contest
        • FORD SW FLORIDA CSF FOOD, CULTURAL & NON-PROFIT VENDORS
        • FORD SW Florida Cuban Sandwich & Taste of Latino Festival Business Exhibitor Opportunities
    • About CSF
    • VIP Tickets
    • Meet the VIP/Celebrity Judges >
      • FORD Intl CSF FOOD, CULTURAL & NON-PROFIT VENDORS
    • Contestant Smack Talk Videos
    • About The Art
    • CSF Voting Page
    • Event Tools
    • Help Make The Biggest Cuban Sandwich in the World!
    • Cuban Sandwich Festival Collector's Aprons
  • Taste of Latino
    • FORD Kissimmee Taste of Latino Festival & Top Leaders Awards >
      • Contest Reg: KISSIMMEE Taste of Latino
      • FORD KISSIMMEE Taste of Latino Business Vendors
    • 4th FORD Ybor City Taste of Latino Festival & Top Leaders Awards >
      • Contest Reg: YBOR Taste of Latino
      • FORD Taste of Latino Business Vendors
  • Press & Promotions
    • 2022 Event Promotions
    • 2017 Event Promotion
    • 2016 Press Coverage
    • 2016 Event Promotions
  • Other Websites
    • LatinTimesMedia.com
    • Latin-Times.com
    • Latin-Restaurants.com
    • TasteOfLatino
  • Category
  • Cuban Sandwich Directory
  • 2021 Event Setup
  • 10th Annual YBOR CSF Winners
  • Previous Years!
    • 11th Annual International Contest Registration >
      • 11th Annual CSF: International Contest Information
      • 2021 Contestant List
    • 2020 Kissimmee CSF Contest Registration >
      • Kissimmee, Florida Contest & Vendor Registration
    • 2019 CSF Recap >
      • Thank you Sponsors
      • Meet our Previous Contestants - World Contest
      • 4th Annual CSF Kissimmee Pics
    • 2017 Event Promotion >
      • Event Set up Tools
    • 2015 Tampa Bay >
      • 2015 Contestants -Miami & South Florida Smackdown!! >
        • Meet the Previous Miami CSS VIP/Celebrity Judges
        • 2015 Press Coverage >
          • 2015 Pictures
          • 2015 Event Promotions
      • Meet the VIP/Celebrity Judges
      • 2015 Contestants - State Contest!
      • VIP Tickets: Cuban Sandwich Festival - VIP Areas!
    • 2014 Press >
      • 2014 Press Releases
      • 2014 Contestants - National Contest!
    • 2013 Cuban Sandwich Festival >
      • 2013 Press >
        • 2013 Recap Press Release
      • 2013 Contestants
      • 2013 VIP Judges
      • 2013 Celebrity Hosts
      • 2013 Entertainment
    • 2012 Media Coverage Page
  • Florida Festivals

History of the Worldwide
​Cuban Sandwich Festival

​History of the Cuban Sandwich & The Worldwide Cuban Sandwich Festival​


  It all started in Tampa, Florida where I grew up with Cuban Sandwiches, Café con Leche, and the Historical Culture I was raised with. My Abuelita had several restaurants throughout her life in Tampa and as far as I am concerned, she made the World's Best Cuban Sandwich! In 2011 my wife and I were sitting down eating pressed toasted Cuban Bread with butter and Café con Leche talking about creating an event that would compliment the Historical Culture of Tampa and something everyone would love to attend. We looked at each other and at the same time said, " CUBAN SANDWICH FESTIVAL! Afterwards we met with Tampa Council woman Yolie Yvonne Capin who got Tampa City to pass a resolution for the Cuban Sandwich to be the signature sandwich of Tampa. " On May 26th, 2012, @ Ybor's Historical Centennial Park we hosted our 1st Annual Cuban Sandwich Festival with Local officials as Judges, Local and statewide contestants, the Cuban Sandwich Festival was a huge success that even reached the Newspapers in Spain. Since then the Cuban Sandwich Festival has become Worldwide sensation bringing local, National, and International contestants to compete every year in our Cuban Sandwich Contest. London, England,  Seoul, South Korea,  California, Tennessee, New York and so on. We are now holding Preliminary Smackdowns Statewide and out of state with our first Chicago Cuban sandwich Smackdown in 2019. 

​  In 2012 we decided to create an event to make our Festival a 2 day event and implemented the World's Largest Cuban Sandwich called the Taste of the Cuban Sandwich. We made a 36 foot Cuban Sandwich and fed the local homeless through a Charitable organization and since then we now make the World's Largest Cuban Sandwich in Kissimmee, Florida and in Ybor City Tampa, FL. with our Official Cuban Bread Sponsor "La Segunda" and Westwinds Provisions" Boar's Head along with local Restaurant owners from La Teresita, Pipos, Papa Joes, Faedo's on the Go, Stone Soup, along with the contestants, sponsors, and volunteers we achieve the World's Largest Cuban Sandwich to Feed the homeless. Since 2012 we have fed thousands of Homeless and it has been a blessing and an honor to accomplish this amazing feat. The World's Largest Cuban Sandwich is currently at 162 Feet in 2018. Going on our 8th Annual International Cuban Sandwich thousands will come to eat the world's best Cuban Sandwiches and learn about the greatest Historical cultured Sandwich in the world. I'm Victor Padilla and with my wife Jolie Gonzalez-Padilla we are the sole creators and founders of The International Cuban Sandwich Festival. Everyday we give much thanks to our Father and Creator God for his blessings over this event, because without a doubt he loves Cuban Sandwiches and thanks with Mucho Amor (Love) to everyone who Participates and attends our Festival, thank you for loving Cuban Sandwiches! - Victor Padilla 
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  • CubanSandwich Fest
    • Cuban Sandwiches in the News
    • 2023 Festivals >
      • 2023 Participation
      • Three Kings / 3 Reyes Festival
      • Ft Myers Ford Cuban Sandwich Festival
    • 2022 VOTING PAGE
    • Event Map 2022
    • 2022 Become a SPONSOR! >
      • Basic Sponsorships
      • Premium Sponsorships
    • Participate in CSF >
      • Get YOUR VIP Tickets
      • CONTEST OPPORTUNITIES
      • FORD Kissimmee Cuban Sandwich Festival >
        • Kissimmee Cuban Sandwich Contest
        • FORD Kissimmee CSF FOOD, CULTURAL & NON-PROFIT VENDORS
        • FORD Kissimmee CSF Business Opportunities
        • Kissimmee CSS: Store
      • 11th Annual FORD CSF Ybor >
        • YBOR Cuban Sandwich Contest
        • FORD Intl CSF Business Opportunities
        • FORD Intl CSF Sponsorship Opportunieis
        • 11th Annual FORD Intl CSF: Store
      • FORD Jacksonville Cuban Sandwich & Taste of Latino Festival >
        • Jacksonville Cuban Sandwich Contest
        • FORD Jacksonville CSF FOOD, CULTURAL & NON-PROFIT VENDORS
        • FORD Jacksonville CSF Business Exhibitor Vendor
      • FORD SW Florida Cuban Sandwich & Taste of Latino Festival >
        • SW FLORIDA Cuban Sandwich Contest
        • FORD SW FLORIDA CSF FOOD, CULTURAL & NON-PROFIT VENDORS
        • FORD SW Florida Cuban Sandwich & Taste of Latino Festival Business Exhibitor Opportunities
    • About CSF
    • VIP Tickets
    • Meet the VIP/Celebrity Judges >
      • FORD Intl CSF FOOD, CULTURAL & NON-PROFIT VENDORS
    • Contestant Smack Talk Videos
    • About The Art
    • CSF Voting Page
    • Event Tools
    • Help Make The Biggest Cuban Sandwich in the World!
    • Cuban Sandwich Festival Collector's Aprons
  • Taste of Latino
    • FORD Kissimmee Taste of Latino Festival & Top Leaders Awards >
      • Contest Reg: KISSIMMEE Taste of Latino
      • FORD KISSIMMEE Taste of Latino Business Vendors
    • 4th FORD Ybor City Taste of Latino Festival & Top Leaders Awards >
      • Contest Reg: YBOR Taste of Latino
      • FORD Taste of Latino Business Vendors
  • Press & Promotions
    • 2022 Event Promotions
    • 2017 Event Promotion
    • 2016 Press Coverage
    • 2016 Event Promotions
  • Other Websites
    • LatinTimesMedia.com
    • Latin-Times.com
    • Latin-Restaurants.com
    • TasteOfLatino
  • Category
  • Cuban Sandwich Directory
  • 2021 Event Setup
  • 10th Annual YBOR CSF Winners
  • Previous Years!
    • 11th Annual International Contest Registration >
      • 11th Annual CSF: International Contest Information
      • 2021 Contestant List
    • 2020 Kissimmee CSF Contest Registration >
      • Kissimmee, Florida Contest & Vendor Registration
    • 2019 CSF Recap >
      • Thank you Sponsors
      • Meet our Previous Contestants - World Contest
      • 4th Annual CSF Kissimmee Pics
    • 2017 Event Promotion >
      • Event Set up Tools
    • 2015 Tampa Bay >
      • 2015 Contestants -Miami & South Florida Smackdown!! >
        • Meet the Previous Miami CSS VIP/Celebrity Judges
        • 2015 Press Coverage >
          • 2015 Pictures
          • 2015 Event Promotions
      • Meet the VIP/Celebrity Judges
      • 2015 Contestants - State Contest!
      • VIP Tickets: Cuban Sandwich Festival - VIP Areas!
    • 2014 Press >
      • 2014 Press Releases
      • 2014 Contestants - National Contest!
    • 2013 Cuban Sandwich Festival >
      • 2013 Press >
        • 2013 Recap Press Release
      • 2013 Contestants
      • 2013 VIP Judges
      • 2013 Celebrity Hosts
      • 2013 Entertainment
    • 2012 Media Coverage Page
  • Florida Festivals