Latin Cafe 2000 celebrates 8th annual Pig Pardoning Ceremony
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Miami welcomed the holiday season with plenty of sabor and a touch of whimsy as Latin Cafe 2000 in Brickell hosted its eighth annual Pig Pardoning Ceremony on Dec. 9, joined by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
What began as a playful local spin on the nationally recognized presidential turkey pardon has now become a beloved Miami tradition that reflects the city’s multicultural identity and culinary heritage.
At 10 a.m., the mayor delivered the highly anticipated moment of mercy, officially pardoning this year’s honoree, a lucky pig named Six Seven, granting it a full reprieve from the caja china, the iconic roasting box used to prepare whole pigs across Miami during the holidays.
Each December, thousands of pigs are ordered, marinated, and slow-roasted throughout Miami-Dade, as families prepare for Christmas Eve feasts in a tradition as essential here as turkey is elsewhere. Though the lechón roast in Miami is rooted in Cuban heritage, it has become a beloved holiday ritual across South Florida’s many cultures. Latin Cafe 2000 serves tens of thousands of pounds of lechón from Thanksgiving through Día de los Reyes, making it one of Miami’s most trusted keepers of the tradition. The annual pig pardon playfully honors this shared custom while giving one pig a symbolic pass from the fire.
This year’s star pig was donated by Coral Gables firefighter Ricardo Blasco to Pig Roast Command, a group of first responders and community leaders known for producing the popular Pig Roast Bowl. Group leader Karin Mas has generously offered Six Seven a lifelong sanctuary, ensuring that the newly pardoned mascot enjoys a peaceful future far from charcoal and roasting pans.
“The Pig Pardon has become one of our favorite ways to open the holiday season,” said Eric Castellanos, owner of Latin Cafe 2000. “It captures the spirit of Miami, joyful, diverse, and rooted in traditions that bring people together. Each year, we are proud to celebrate culture and compassion in a way only Miami can.”
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