Historic Wagner Farm will host its first-ever Tomato Fest on Saturday, September 9, from 1 to 5 p.m., in collaboration with the Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church. The event is free and open to the public and will feature tomato sales and food samples, a photo booth, tomato-themed games, contests, field tours, a scavenger hunt, a tomato canning demonstration and much more. Activities will be available throughout the event, and field tours will begin every half hour.

Additional activities that will require a fee onsite include food tastings, wagon rides, tomato tie-dyeing, felt tomato magnet crafts and cow chip bingo. Tickets are $1 each and activities range between 1-15 tickets. Food tastings will include a Bloody Mary/Maria (no alcohol) bar, tomato soup and grilled cheese pairings, Focaccia pizza, chili in a tomato bowl, and small samples of tomato dishes from around the world.

Historic Wagner Farm is an authentic working farm that seeks to inspire generations to explore, connect and appreciate agriculture. Tomato Fest provides a fun and unique way for visitors to learn about tomatoes and experience their numerous benefits and uses firsthand.

“We will be showcasing some of the ways tomatoes are used in our diverse community,” explained Kendra Strubhart, Program Manager at Historic Wagner Farm. “While not everyone is familiar with farming, food is a universal concept. By highlighting the many ways you can enjoy a tomato, we hope to help people see how they are connected to agriculture, even if Tomato Fest is their first time visiting a farm.”

Historic Wagner Farm grows over twenty varieties of tomatoes and planted over 1,200 tomato plants this year alone. The Farm sells their tomatoes in their gift shop and uses the tomatoes in their Farm to Table Foods product line and in preparing the dishes for the seasonal dinners Historic Wagner Farm hosts each year. When the tomatoes are no longer fit for human consumption, they are used as a source of vitamins for the chickens raised on the Farm, and rotting tomatoes are used in creating nutrient-rich compost that helps to improve the fields’ soil for next year’s crop.

“We will have lots of fun activities at Tomato Fest, but the food will be the real star,” said Strubhart. “Visitors will see examples of creative ways to use tomatoes; my favorite is the BLT sundae, featuring bacon, ladyfingers and tomato jam on vanilla ice cream. It is a surprisingly delicious combination with a great balance of savory, salty and sweet.”

Parking will be available in the Historic Wagner Farm parking lot, with additional parking available at the Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church.