30th Annual 2023
Grainger County Tennessee
Tomato Festival July 21-22, 2023
Friday July 21st:
Festival 12:00 to 6:00 pm
Grainger County Opry:
6:30-9:00 pm
The Opry will be all local talent including music and comedy.
Saturday July 22nd:
9:00 am to 6:00 pm
with hopes of local entertainment at the main stage at 6:30 pm.
Festival 12:00 to 6:00 pm
Grainger County Opry:
6:30-9:00 pm
The Opry will be all local talent including music and comedy.
Saturday July 22nd:
9:00 am to 6:00 pm
with hopes of local entertainment at the main stage at 6:30 pm.
Grainger County Tomato Festival
7480 Rutledge Pike Rutledge, TN 37861
7480 Rutledge Pike Rutledge, TN 37861
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Downloadable 2022 Promotional Poster (You can help promote the Tomato Festival by downloading and printing the 2022 Festival poster) |
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Painting by Wendy Leedy
The Grainger County Tomato Festival was organized in 1992 to promote our world famous Grainger County Tomatoes. Our mission is to promote all Grainger County agricultural products, specifically the Grainger County Tomato, and to promote the many local artists, authors, talent, and craftsmen we have in our area. Over the years we have added a number of special events making the festival one of the largest free festivals in East Tennessee and has been named by Parade magazine as one of the top ten festivals in the USA.
The festival is always in the month of July in Rutledge, Tennessee. Be sure to mark your calendars! You don't want to miss it.
The Tomato Festival is a family event, and we ask all our vendors and visitors to please be considerate and not smoke (cigarettes, vapes, cigars, pipes, etc...) nor have alcohol on the festival grounds. Good Southern manners that will make your mamaw proud is all we ask for. Thank you.
The festival is always in the month of July in Rutledge, Tennessee. Be sure to mark your calendars! You don't want to miss it.
The Tomato Festival is a family event, and we ask all our vendors and visitors to please be considerate and not smoke (cigarettes, vapes, cigars, pipes, etc...) nor have alcohol on the festival grounds. Good Southern manners that will make your mamaw proud is all we ask for. Thank you.
2023 Case Knife
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The 9th edition of the Grainger County Tomato Festival Case XX pocket knife is ripe for harvest!!
This year’s Tomato Festival Case XX Knife is the ever-versatile mini trapper. It fits well in the pocket and is strong enough for any job. The handle material is amber bone and is celebrating greenhouse production in Grainger County. Greenhouses in Grainger County are mostly made from wood, which is represented by the darker brown color in the handle. The light colors in the handle stand for the sunlight that comes through the plastics which gives the greenhouse effect. Greenhouses play an important role in Grainger County production with over 450 greenhouses in the county. Most of these greenhouses are dedicated to tomato production. Greenhouses allow farmers to grow great tasting tomatoes even when the weather isn’t suitable. Because of greenhouses, growers can have tomatoes ready for sale as early as April and extend the growing season for tomatoes to where we can almost have them year-round. “Oh Yeah!!” The Tomato Festival believes it is only fitting to celebrate greenhouses with a special knife like this. Don’t miss this year’s knife, price is $65. Please call 865-828-3411 to preorder your knife.
This year’s Tomato Festival Case XX Knife is the ever-versatile mini trapper. It fits well in the pocket and is strong enough for any job. The handle material is amber bone and is celebrating greenhouse production in Grainger County. Greenhouses in Grainger County are mostly made from wood, which is represented by the darker brown color in the handle. The light colors in the handle stand for the sunlight that comes through the plastics which gives the greenhouse effect. Greenhouses play an important role in Grainger County production with over 450 greenhouses in the county. Most of these greenhouses are dedicated to tomato production. Greenhouses allow farmers to grow great tasting tomatoes even when the weather isn’t suitable. Because of greenhouses, growers can have tomatoes ready for sale as early as April and extend the growing season for tomatoes to where we can almost have them year-round. “Oh Yeah!!” The Tomato Festival believes it is only fitting to celebrate greenhouses with a special knife like this. Don’t miss this year’s knife, price is $65. Please call 865-828-3411 to preorder your knife.
We would like to welcome Grainger County Ridge Runners Car Club to this years festival. We believe these folks will have a variety of amazing vehicles for all ages to enjoy. Saturday Only |
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Thank you AJC Media for this amazing birds eye view of the festival.
We will be back better than ever in 2021
We will be back better than ever in 2021
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Pets are welcome and we have several water stations on the festival grounds. We also have misting tents for cooling off that the critters and their people love.
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Tomato Festival Sponsors
Grainger Co. Government
Appalachian Electric Coop
Grainger Today
WCRK 105.7 FM & AM 1150
WJDT 106.5 FM
GRIID
Renewal by Anderson Corporation
(Subject to change closer to date)
Appalachian Electric Coop
Grainger Today
WCRK 105.7 FM & AM 1150
WJDT 106.5 FM
GRIID
Renewal by Anderson Corporation
(Subject to change closer to date)
Grainger County Tomato Festival Shirts
Thank you to Clinch Mountain Printing for making the 2022 Grainger Tomato Festival Shirts and donating some of the proceeds back to the Tomato Festival!
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Rita and Susan Key will be back this year with their delectable and creative chocolates. They will be located in the elementary school.
We would like to congratulate The Chocolate Ladies on their wins at Chocolate Fest |
Grainger County Opry
Friday July 21 6:30pm-9pm
Rutledge Middle School Gym
We're back with lots of laughs and great music
Kelvin Ryder the Blacksmith
Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree, The Village Smithy Stands. Our blacksmith will be returning for the 8th year. He is the owner of Homegrown Forge, and makes a number of items including railroad spike knives, equipment for outdoor cooking and various small items. He will be demonstrating under the big tree in the Living History area and as always happy to answer any questions you may have about blacksmithing. Tomato Wars
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John Beckwith
He will be bringing a display of his hand made reproduction Indian Trade Silver and historic crosses to the Living History area this year. It is made using traditional methods and materials like sterling silver and brass. The patterns are all original pieces. He will also be working on his wooden spoons and walking sticks at the festival. Look for him on the other side of the tree from Kelvin the black smith.and historic crosses. Historic Calendars are Back
The Grainger County Historic Society will have the 2022 calendars featuring drawings by Wendy Leedy for sale at the Tomato Festival inside the elementary school. 
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Authors
In the elementary school We have several accomplished authors at the festival this year. They are all inside with the air conditioning where you can meet them, buy their books and get them personalized.
- Lin Stepp - Robert McGinnis - Betty Martin - Jim Claborn - Don Sheradon - GC Historical Society - Ken Coffey Barbara Moore
We are thrilled to have Barbara Moore at The Tomato Festival this year. She hand makes one of a kind traditional Native American designs. Her collections include hand painted leather jewelry (earrings, barrettes,& bracelets) off loom bead work, dream catchers, and medicine wheels. Be sure to go see her in the living history section up on the hill beside the middle school. Leather Smith
Living History welcomes back Gary Prater, our leather worker from Knoxville. Gary makes a number of leather items in a wide price range but he really enjoys making items of historical interest. He is skilled in many leather techniques and has lots of tools he loves to talk about. If you need something custom made, come see Gary. |
Soaring Sparrow
Elmo
As always we are proud to have the Kerbela Engineers of Morristown Shriners Elmo Train back. Bring the kids for a ride on this cute and colorful train and help the Shrines raise money to help children in need. 
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Pottery by Jenni Kelly
Returning as the Living History potter is Jenni Kelly of Kelly Pottery in Rockwood. While she makes many things, she enjoys making items from early American designs. She will be demonstrating clay on the wheel techniques and answering any questions you may have in the Living History area. Nails Creek Canning Co.
Re Fur-Bished
Wind & Wings
Tinsmithing Demos
David D. Drake has been tinsmithing since 2000 and is a member of Tennessee for Living History. He will be demonstrating the use of tools and techniques for making cups, kettles, pots, and other items of the 18th century. |
Rustic Relics by Lora Sinard
You can find Lora inside the elementary school with the air conditioning. We love to see whats new in Lora's world like her wall hangings, stuffed veggies, Christmas, and Halloween decorations. Story Teller
Our story teller is Harry Bumgardner, a member of the Sons of the Revolution. He knows most everything a man needs to know about the early history of our country. Be sure and bring the young folks by to see him because he has a variety of things to talk about. We look forward to his flint lock demonstrations and we hope he brings the 50 caliber! Be sure and visit the long hunter's camp located near the Living History area. Food
Veggie Vendors
Zi Olive
Leslie O'Neill from Zi Olive will have Delicious gourmet olive oils and balsamic vinagars at the Tomato Festival this year. Take home a bottle of each and get a great head start on dinner for that night. They will be located behind the elementary school with the commercial vendors. Sewing
New to the Living History area this year is Susan Libby. She makes a number of hand crafted fabric items. History buffs and antique lovers will have a particular interest in her early sewing machines. She will be bringing a 1860's Davis treadle sewing machine and a 1906 Singer treadle machine. For those of you who only know about shiny electronic sewing machines, come see Susan and see how great grandma made her fabric items. |
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David L Adams
New to Living History this year is David L. Adams of Tennesseans for Living History. He makes black powder bags, powder horns, blowing "fox" horns & knives. He has been constructing period correct black powder accoutrements since 1965. You will find David by the big tree in the living history area. |
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