If you love to grow and eat tomatoes, then you will really enjoy experiencing a tomato festival. There are hundreds of tomato festivals throughout the U.S. every year that feature best tomato contests, tomato fights, tomato art, and much more. Here is the short list of upcoming tomato festivals that you should not miss if you are nearby.
![Upcoming Tomato Festivals You Should Not Miss]()
California
Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival
The 13th Annual Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 11am - 4pm. More than 170 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in every size, shape and color imaginable will be picked fresh from our own Culinary Gardens and sampled on a beautiful Wine Country afternoon.
The festival, which raises money for the School Garden Network of Sonoma County, is held on the lawn and in the walnut grove behind the Chateau at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center. Attendees experience the food of gourmet food purveyors, a Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef's Challenge, wine education seminars, a tomato growing contest, garden tours and live entertainment. All paired with Kendall-Jackson wines.
18th Annual Tomato Festival & West Coast BBQ Championship
18th Annual Tomato Festival & West Coast Barbeque Championship
August 15, 2009
Saturday 10 am - 5:00 pm
August 16, 2009
Sunday 11 am - 4:00 pm
This festival is located in downtown Fairfield, CA and was once featured on The Travel Channel.
Ohio
Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival
In October 1965, Reynoldsburg City Council dedicated a plaque commemorating a proclamation from the Franklin County Historical Society that named Reynoldsburg as the birthplace of the commercial tomato.
Annually for 44 years now, the citizens of Reynoldsburg have organized the Tomato Festival in celebration and remembrance of that proclamation.
Each year, the festival draws thousands of visitors, not only the people of Reynoldsburg, but also people from around Central Ohio and from around the state who want to enjoy home-grown family fun.
This year's festival takes place August 14 and 15 at Huber Park on Davidson Drive, just south of E. Main Street.
Festival-goers enjoy tomato displays and contests, concessions, arts and crafts exhibits, live musical entertainment, children's activities, and the opportunity to meet the friendly people of Reynoldsburg.
Pennsylvania
Pittston Tomato Festival
The 26th Annual Pittston Tomato Festival will be held in downtown Pittston Thursday, August 20th through Sunday, 23rd, 2009
Over fifty thousand people will attend the four-day event that has been touted as one of the best festivals in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Delicious food, a variety of live entertainment, a parade, 5K run, games, rides, arts and crafts, bingo and of course home-grown Pittston tomatoes keep bringing an enthusiastic crowd to the festival year after year.
Don't miss the Tomato Fights, which will be held on Saturday, August 22nd at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Cooper's on the Waterfront Restaurant, 304 Kennedy Blvd., Pittston. The entry fee is $5, which includes use of protective eye goggles. All proceeds will benefit local charities.
Tennessee
Tomato Art Fest
Every year the Tomato Art Fest takes place in East Nashville, TN. The Tomato Art Fest features all kinds of art created from tomatoes, everything from poems to arts and crafts. The event drew over 12,000 people in 2008, and features hundreds of vendors that have food, t-shirts, and anything else that pertains to the love of tomatoes. There will also be music from some of Nashville's best local bands.
This year the event will take place on Saturday, August 8th in East Nashville's Five Points area. If you are a nearby resident or will be in the area, you should definitely check it out!
You can follow the Tomato Art Fest on Twitter at tomatoartfest, or on Facebook.
Virginia
EastMont Tomato Festival
The EastMont Tomato Festival returns for its second year!
Meadowbrook Center
Shawsville, Virginia
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
10:00 a.m. 'til 2:00 p.m
Festival proceeds will go toward supporting the Shawsville Farmers Market, a place where local growers and artists can sell their products and help build a more sustainable community.
Thomas Jefferson's Tomato Faire
August 8, 2009 in Lynchburg, VA. Contact the Hill County Master Gardeners at (434) 847-1585.
Other
Nature's Sweet Best Homegrown Tomato Challenge
NatureSweet Tomatoes, America's year-round tomato garden, will bring the Seventh Annual Homegrown Tomato Challenge to six different cities across America this year to see who grows the best tomatoes. Gardeners are invited to bring their best tomatoes in both the small and large tomato categories for a chance to be one of two $2,500 winners! Runners-up will receive $250 in prizes.
Sweeptakes Info
If you can't grow tomatoes, you can still enter the NaturesSweet Tomato Sweepstakes for a chance to win $2,500. No purchase is required.
The Sweepstakes portion of this promotion begins at 12:01 a.m., Eastern Time, June 30, 2009, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, September 30, 2009.
More details on how to enter coming soon.
Participating Cities
The Contest will take place at your favorite participating grocery store in a city near you. Check below for participating cities and locations.
MCLEAN, VA
August 15, 2009
Giant
1454 Chain Bridge Road
McLean, VA 22101
ARVADA, CO
August 22, 2009
King Soopers
15200 West 64th Ave
Arvada, CO 80007
CLIFTON PARK, NY
August 29, 2009
Price Chopper
15 Park Ave.
Clifton Park, NY 12065
LEXINGTON, KY
September 12, 2009
Kroger
3101 Richmond Road
Lexington, KY 40509
WARWICK, RI
September 19, 2009
Stop & Shop
575 Greenwich Avenue
Warwick, RI 02888
HOWELL, MI
September 26, 2009
Meijer
3883 E Grand River
Howell, MI 48843
If you have a favorite tomato festival that is not listed, please feel free to share it with some information about it!
California
Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival
The 13th Annual Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 11am - 4pm. More than 170 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in every size, shape and color imaginable will be picked fresh from our own Culinary Gardens and sampled on a beautiful Wine Country afternoon.
The festival, which raises money for the School Garden Network of Sonoma County, is held on the lawn and in the walnut grove behind the Chateau at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center. Attendees experience the food of gourmet food purveyors, a Food & Wine magazine Best New Chef's Challenge, wine education seminars, a tomato growing contest, garden tours and live entertainment. All paired with Kendall-Jackson wines.
18th Annual Tomato Festival & West Coast BBQ Championship
18th Annual Tomato Festival & West Coast Barbeque Championship
August 15, 2009
Saturday 10 am - 5:00 pm
August 16, 2009
Sunday 11 am - 4:00 pm
This festival is located in downtown Fairfield, CA and was once featured on The Travel Channel.
Ohio
Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival
In October 1965, Reynoldsburg City Council dedicated a plaque commemorating a proclamation from the Franklin County Historical Society that named Reynoldsburg as the birthplace of the commercial tomato.
Annually for 44 years now, the citizens of Reynoldsburg have organized the Tomato Festival in celebration and remembrance of that proclamation.
Each year, the festival draws thousands of visitors, not only the people of Reynoldsburg, but also people from around Central Ohio and from around the state who want to enjoy home-grown family fun.
This year's festival takes place August 14 and 15 at Huber Park on Davidson Drive, just south of E. Main Street.
Festival-goers enjoy tomato displays and contests, concessions, arts and crafts exhibits, live musical entertainment, children's activities, and the opportunity to meet the friendly people of Reynoldsburg.
Pennsylvania
Pittston Tomato Festival
The 26th Annual Pittston Tomato Festival will be held in downtown Pittston Thursday, August 20th through Sunday, 23rd, 2009
Over fifty thousand people will attend the four-day event that has been touted as one of the best festivals in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Delicious food, a variety of live entertainment, a parade, 5K run, games, rides, arts and crafts, bingo and of course home-grown Pittston tomatoes keep bringing an enthusiastic crowd to the festival year after year.
Don't miss the Tomato Fights, which will be held on Saturday, August 22nd at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Cooper's on the Waterfront Restaurant, 304 Kennedy Blvd., Pittston. The entry fee is $5, which includes use of protective eye goggles. All proceeds will benefit local charities.
Tennessee
Tomato Art Fest
Every year the Tomato Art Fest takes place in East Nashville, TN. The Tomato Art Fest features all kinds of art created from tomatoes, everything from poems to arts and crafts. The event drew over 12,000 people in 2008, and features hundreds of vendors that have food, t-shirts, and anything else that pertains to the love of tomatoes. There will also be music from some of Nashville's best local bands.
This year the event will take place on Saturday, August 8th in East Nashville's Five Points area. If you are a nearby resident or will be in the area, you should definitely check it out!
You can follow the Tomato Art Fest on Twitter at tomatoartfest, or on Facebook.
Virginia
EastMont Tomato Festival
The EastMont Tomato Festival returns for its second year!
Meadowbrook Center
Shawsville, Virginia
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
10:00 a.m. 'til 2:00 p.m
Festival proceeds will go toward supporting the Shawsville Farmers Market, a place where local growers and artists can sell their products and help build a more sustainable community.
Thomas Jefferson's Tomato Faire
August 8, 2009 in Lynchburg, VA. Contact the Hill County Master Gardeners at (434) 847-1585.
Other
Nature's Sweet Best Homegrown Tomato Challenge
NatureSweet Tomatoes, America's year-round tomato garden, will bring the Seventh Annual Homegrown Tomato Challenge to six different cities across America this year to see who grows the best tomatoes. Gardeners are invited to bring their best tomatoes in both the small and large tomato categories for a chance to be one of two $2,500 winners! Runners-up will receive $250 in prizes.
Sweeptakes Info
If you can't grow tomatoes, you can still enter the NaturesSweet Tomato Sweepstakes for a chance to win $2,500. No purchase is required.
The Sweepstakes portion of this promotion begins at 12:01 a.m., Eastern Time, June 30, 2009, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, September 30, 2009.
More details on how to enter coming soon.
Participating Cities
The Contest will take place at your favorite participating grocery store in a city near you. Check below for participating cities and locations.
MCLEAN, VA
August 15, 2009
Giant
1454 Chain Bridge Road
McLean, VA 22101
ARVADA, CO
August 22, 2009
King Soopers
15200 West 64th Ave
Arvada, CO 80007
CLIFTON PARK, NY
August 29, 2009
Price Chopper
15 Park Ave.
Clifton Park, NY 12065
LEXINGTON, KY
September 12, 2009
Kroger
3101 Richmond Road
Lexington, KY 40509
WARWICK, RI
September 19, 2009
Stop & Shop
575 Greenwich Avenue
Warwick, RI 02888
HOWELL, MI
September 26, 2009
Meijer
3883 E Grand River
Howell, MI 48843
If you have a favorite tomato festival that is not listed, please feel free to share it with some information about it!
