For people planning to attend, River City Smoke Fest’s weekend runs Friday through Sunday, with a free kickoff party followed by ticketed and community events around Jacksonville. Organizers describe the third annual festival as a gathering for cigar enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and local businesses, with entertainment, food, fellowship and networking.
The event is returning October 16-18, 2026, for its third annual celebration, according to News4JAX. The festival is organized by Titan 9 Group, which the outlet describes as a Jacksonville-based organization dedicated to signature events, cultural celebrations and community-driven experiences. River City Smoke Fest is designed to bring together cigar enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, local businesses and visitors from across the country, per the same report.
A Free Kickoff Before the Weekend Festivities
Friday’s free entry point is Welcome to Duval: Teal Takeova at Artist Walk, beginning at 6 p.m. The event includes live entertainment, food and local vendors, according to the station's report. It opens a three-day program that organizers say will also feature food, entertainment and networking.
Saturday’s program features two gatherings: Ladies Smoke First Class at Porsche Jacksonville and the BOTL x SOTL Midday Smoke: Rep Your Team event at Aromas Cigar Bar, according to the same account. The events bring together cigar enthusiasts for social gatherings.
Sunday's Kookout Closes Out the Celebration
Sunday’s closing event is the “It Ain't Ova' Til' It's Ova! Kookout Day Party,” as reported by News4JAX. Organizers describe the festival as a way to support local businesses and bring communities together.
Titan 9 Group's footprint in Jacksonville extends beyond the smoke fest. The organization also puts on the Smokin' Aces & Titan 9 Group Annual Golf Tournament and the Casino Royale Gala, as noted by Titan 9 Group, positioning River City Smoke Fest as one piece of a broader slate of community and cultural events the group runs throughout the year.
A glimpse of Jacksonville's cigar past
Florida Memory, administered by the Florida Department of State, captions an archival image of a King Edward Cigars cigar as being from Jacksonville in 1948. The image offers a historical glimpse of the city's cigar industry, but does not establish its scale or how it changed over time.
Event details, age requirements and tickets are available at www.rivercitysmokefest.com, the report states. The festival arrives the same month as other Jacksonville gatherings drawing crowds for food and lifestyle experiences, including the Jacksonville Bourbon Whiskey Fest, which News4JAX included in its roundup of area events for early October.
