Nothing says summertime in New Orleans quite like the Creole Tomato Festival. Held each year to mark the official opening of Creole tomato season in the heart of the French Quarter, the music, dancing, food, and drink signal the shift from spring into the longer and languid days of summer.
The thirty-sixth annual Creole Tomato Festival will be ripe and ready for its (in person!) return to the city’s historic French Market June 11–12. Where better to celebrate the sweet bounty of South Louisiana Creole tomatoes than the country's oldest open-air marketplace? See the venue come alive over the weekend-long affair as local vendors serve scrumptious dishes starring the one-and-only Creole tomato, along with chef cooking demos and tastings, live music, a second line, kids activities, artist booths, and more.
Courtesy of French Market District
The Lowdown
So, what else can you expect from this festival? There’s always a lot going on (including life-sized tomatoes ambling the district, armed with an abundant supply of tomato-shaped fans to pass out to festivalgoers), but our favorite weekend staples include recipe demonstrations by premier New Orleans chefs, the Creole tomato eating contest, the Bloody Mary market, and of course, food, food, food!
Anyone familiar with the New Orleans food scene knows that flavor-rich Creole tomatoes are staple ingredients in many of the most beloved dishes served by top restaurants and chefs. At the Creole Tomato Festival, local eateries showcase dishes with the Creole tomato as the primary ingredient. Since several of the area’s top culinary contenders will be setting up shop from Dutch Alley to Crescent Park, it’s the perfect time to sample specialties from a variety of vendors. Previous years have featured the likes of fried green Creole tomatoes, shrimp and Creole tomato ceviche, Creole tomato basil crepes, and Creole tomato cream crawfish pies—although the offerings tend to change each year, depending on which vendors participate. Your Creole tomato-centric menu isn't just limited to food, though. As the definitive tomato cocktail, local bars and restaurants also create their own Bloody Marys made with Creole tomatoes. Now, all this talk about ways to incorporate the Creole tomato, but it's worth mentioning that these vine-ripened beauties stand all on their own, too. Head to one of the produce stands scattered throughout the French Market to stock up on one of life's simple pleasures.
As far as live entertainment this year's lineup is stacked with top local and regional talent, from jazz and brass bands to soul and R&B singers. To help you plan the best fest experience, find the full two-day schedule below. (There are two stages, the Dutch Alley Stage and the Main Market Stage. Acts performing on the main stage are marked below).
Saturday, June 11
- 10:30 am - National Park Service Drum Circle
- 11 am - Ripe & Ready Second Line (M)
- 12:15 pm - Fully Dressed Po-Boys (M)
- 12:30 pm - Tereasa B & N'Style
- 1:30 pm - National Park Service Arrowhead Jazz Band (M)
- 1:45 pm - Dave Lemon & The Fleaux
- 2:45 pm - Jenavieve Cooke (M)
- 3 pm - Alicia Renee aka Blue Eyes
- 4:15 pm - Crawdaddy T’s Cajun / Zydeco Review
- 4:15—5:30 pm - Gina Brown (M)
Sunday, June 12
- 11:30 am - Johnette Downing
- 11:30 am - Smoking Time Jazz Band (M)
- 12:45 pm - Los Guiros
- 12:45 pm - Feathers of Freedom (M)
- 2 pm - The Jumbo Shrimp Jazz Band
- 2 pm - Banjo a la Créole Quartet (M)
- 3:15 pm - Shotgun Jazz Band (M)
- 4:30 pm - Where Y'at Brass Band (M)
Courtesy of French Market District
Food for Thought
Ever wondered what makes Creole tomatoes different? South Louisiana farmers have long called their tomato “Creole” to culturally distinguish it from other tomatoes. Historically grown along the river parishes—St. Bernard and Plaquemines, specifically—where the soil is rich in nutrients deposited by the Mississippi, the main difference between a regular tomato and a Creole tomato is the taste. Thanks to being grown close to home, these juicy red jewels didn't have to be transported long distances and stayed on the vine longer, giving them a sweeter taste.
The Creole tomato holds high status in the public consciousness; the sunny-sweet flavor conjures nostalgic memories, gardening tips, and family recipes. In fact, the festival is one of the main reasons that the deep, centuries-long ties between the French Market and local farmers still exist today. Every year when the days get longer and June rolls around, two longtime Creole Tomato Festival vendors will be back at the market selling their crop. Like the market, the festival has evolved throughout the years, but it still functions as it always has—as a means to honor and highlight Creole tomatoes and the community farmers who grow them. frenchmarket.org.
Courtesy of French Market District
Sponsored by French Market District
