FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Dozens of tomatoes, salsas, soups, and even wine poured by the glass are in store for the annual Tomato Festival in Fairfield.
“As time goes on, these festivals become few and far between… it’s free parking. It’s free admission. It’s just a day out with family,” said Margaret Manzo, executive director of the Fairfield Main Street Association.
“I think most of these festivals charge a substantial admission and then you pay for parking - by the time you get in and buy lunch, you’re out a few hundred dollars, so this one of the rare finds in Solano County,” she added.
The family-friendly festival will once again be continuing its tradition of shutting down downtown Fairfield for a couple of days as about 25,000 head into the city for the event.
Say “Hello” to the Tomato and Vine Festival
After a strong solo run in Fairfield for 28 years, the tomato will be sharing the headliner spot with the wine grape as the Fairfield Tomato Festival evolves into the Tomato and Vine Festival this year.
“We’re maintaining our agricultural heritage with a salute to the tomato and, of course, there’ll still be plenty of tomatoes… but this year you’ll be able to taste grapes and wine grapes and an expanded wine garden for local wine experiences as well,” explained Manzo.
What will be there?
Free samples, food, rides, crafts, and contests help give the festival a little something for everyone.
It’s no surprise that a tomato festival will have tomatoes, but these aren’t some kind of standard grocery store tomatoes. The festival carries more than a dozen kinds of tomatoes you won’t find around the local store.
“Well, I don’t know if you’re going to find beefsteak [tomatoes],” said Manzo. “This is a tomato festival. You’re going to find Purple Cherokee [and] Green Zebra. You’re going to find some rather exotic tomatoes – stuff you can’t buy at the grocery store.”
However, once you get your fill of the fresh produce, you can check out the tomato treats that draw in all the lines:
- Tomato jam – a savory appetizer style jam that is made only a few times a year by a local deli
- Fried green tomatoes – A crowdpleaser that always draws the biggest lines
- Tomato ice cream – A vanilla ice cream topped with vanilla, honey, and a candied cherry tomato
Sharing in the fun this year is a grape stomp, where people can jump in the wine barrel for a fun photo opportunity. The festival also has samplings of wine grapes, honey, and jams.
If you need to take a break from the foods, the festival will have three music stages where the jams will be going from open to close both days of the festival.
To see a full line up of events and schedules, click HERE.
Anything for the kids?
While the festival has music, shopping, margaritas, and Bloody Mary’s for parents, it also has a selection of fun things to do for the kids.
Both days of the festival host a Tomato Eating Contest with categories for children, men, and women. The objective is simple enough: eat 3 heirloom tomatoes as fast as you can.
“It’s fun watching those kids trying to plow through those tomatoes. It’s hilarious,” Manzo said. “You can tell some of them don’t actually like tomatoes, but they want to win. The look on their faces is pretty priceless.”
An entire zone of the six-block festival will be dedicated to kids. It’ll have water ball walkers, pony rides, a petting zoo, bungee jumper, zippy pets, rides, and community performances.
When and where is it?
The Fairfield Tomato and Vine Festival has a two-day run on August 17 and August 18.
August 17: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
August 18: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
It's located at 1000 Webster Street in Fairfield.
Traffic
“This shuts down the entire historic downtown [of] Fairfield - it’s six city blocks,” said Manzo.
With the festival closing downtown Fairfield to thru-traffic, drivers will find marked detours guide them around the area.
For live traffic updates, view the Waze Map below:
WATCH ALSO: Grown in California: A Bartell's Backroads Special
