Inaugural Tomato Fest Coming to Historic Wagner Farm In Glenview

GLENVIEW, IL — In what promises to be a celebration of all things tomato, Historic Wagner Farm is set to host its first-ever Tomato Fest on Saturday, Sept. 9. The fun begins at 1 p.m. and runs through 5 p.m.

The event, a collaboration between the farm and Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church, is free and open to the public. Activities include 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.

There will also some activities that will require a fee including food tastings, wagon rides, tomato tie-dying, felt tomato magnet crafts and cow chip bingo. Food tastings will include a Bloody Mary bar, tomato soup and grilled cheese pairings, Focaccia pizza, chili in a tomato bowl and small samples of tomato dishes from around the world.

"We will be showcasing some of the ways tomatoes are used in our diverse community," said 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."

According to officials, Historic Wagner Farm grows over 2- varieties of tomatoes and planted over 1,200 tomato plants this year alone. For more information, visit https://glenviewparks.org.