COLUMBIA, S.C. (August 3, 2018) – On Saturday, August 11th, 2018, Sustainable Midlands will be hosting the 9th Annual Tasty Tomato Festival. The Midlands community is invited to come together to celebrate local food and the champion of the garden: the heirloom tomato! The annual festival is a celebration of locally grown food, the people who grow it, the restaurants who serve it, the markets that sell it, and the people who eat it. Named by Southern Living as one of the “Best in the South” things to do, this event is a must.
FESTIVAL DETAILS:
● Date: Saturday, August 11th, 2018 // 1pm – 7pm
● Location: City Roots // 1005 Airport Boulevard, Columbia, S.C.
● Hosted by: Sustainable Midlands, a non-profit that works to encourage responsible growth, ensure access to local foods and establish a healthy environment for all Midlands communities
ADMISSION DETAILS: COME GET TASTY WITH US!
● $10 pre-sale: currently available online and in select pre-sale outlets (Jake’s on Devine, Rosewood Market, and Gardener’s Outpost)
● $15 day of: available at the gate
● Cola Town Bike Collective is offering free bike valet during the festival and any patron that rides their bike and uses the valet will receive $5 off their admission ticket.
● Children 12 and under are free
● Note: pets are not allowed at City Roots
2018 MUSIC LINE-UP:
Columbia Craft Brewing Co. Main Stage:
● The Orange Constant // 1:30pm – 2:30pm
● Larry Keel Experience // 3pm – 4:30pm
● Yarn // 5pm – 6:30pm
SC Department of Agriculture Farm Stage:
● 2 For the Road ft. Jim Graddick // 1pm – 2:30pm
● Slap Wore Out // 3pm – 4:30pm
● Parker’s Back // 5pm – 6:30pm
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:
Tomato Tastings:
Complimentary samples of fresh, local, heirloom tomatoes, provided by Senn Brothers, will be available during scheduled tasting times. Tomatoes will be served with accompaniments provided by The Crescent Olive. Tasting times are at 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, and 5pm
PalmettoPride “Tiny Tomatoes” Children’s Area:
Patrons are invited to bring the whole family to this family-friendly event. Tiny Tomatoes will feature a
bounce house obstacle course, mega slide, face painting, and sweet treats from Brain Freeze Italian Ice.
NEW FOR 2018! “Kids Mindful Yoga” by Fit Columbia:
Fit Columbia, a locally owned health and wellness studio located in Five Points, will be offering free kids mindful yoga classes at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. Located in the Palmetto Pride Tiny Tomatoes area, children can expect to learn and practice the fundamentals of mindfulness in body, breath, mind and life, with a kid-friendly approach.
Beverage Offerings:
Local craft beer showcase featuring Columbia Craft Brewing Company.
Specialty drinks:
Cheladas and bloody marys by Jake’s on Devine
Frosé and non-alcoholic lemonade crafted by Josh Streetman of Motor Supply Co.
Variety of beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks will also be available for purchase.
Food Offerings:
Greekin’ Out
Lidl Food Truck
Los Chicanos Food Truck
Scoopy Doo + Drip “Mystery Bus”
Size Matters BBQ Bus
Village Idiot Pizza
NEW FOR 2018! “Maters Matter” Interactive + Educational Stage, Presented by Sustainable Midlands
Patrons will have the opportunity to attend several educational lectures throughout the day, featuring local vegetable growers, naturalists, heirloom experts, and professionals in the gardening and farming community.
2pm - 2:30pm // Rodger Winn of Rodger's Heirlooms: "Why I Can't Grow Tomatoes"
2:45pm – 3:15pm // Ellis Creel, local vegetable grower: “Above the Ground: Picking, Planting, and Caring for Tomatoes in Containers”
3:30pm – 4pm // Eva Moore, Executive Editor of Free Times + Alex Strickland, Head Chef at Hunter Gatherer Brewery: “Cooking With Tomatoes, Favorite Dishes, and More”
4:15pm – 4:45pm // David Shields, Carolina Distinguished Professor, University of South Carolina: “The Six Most Important Tomatoes in American History”
5pm – 5:30pm // Jason Craig, Executive Director of Sustainable Midlands: “Transforming Consciousness Through the Taste of a Fresh Tomato”
GET INVOLVED:
Calling All Foodie Photographers! Tasty Tomato Photo Contest
Tomato lovers are encouraged to enter the Tasty Tomato Photo Contest anytime between now and August 10th. To enter: snap a tomato-related picture and posit it on Instagram, tagging Sustainable Midlands (@SustainableMidlandsSC) and Tasty Tomato Festival (@TastyTomatoFestival), using the hashtag #TastyTomatoFestival. One winner will be chosen and announced on stage during the Tasty Tomato Festival on August 11th.
Volunteer:
Anyone interested in volunteering should e-mail Garrett Lash with Sustainable Midlands
(sustainablemidlands2@gmail.com) or can sign up on the Tasty Tomato Festival website.
SPONSORS + COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
The Tasty Tomato Festival would not be possible without the generous support of: KW Beverage, Columbia Craft Brewing Co., PalmettoPride, Jake's on Devine, Free Times, Creel Family Law, Site-Image, SC Department of Agriculture, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Providence Hospital, James Smith for Governor, Northwestern Mutual, Rosewood Market and Deli, Fit Columbia, Senn Brothers, Gardeners Outpost, Leaf Filter North, Lidl, AgSouth, ACRS, Marina Bay, Bernstein & Bernstein, Mobile Attic, Cola Daily, 94.3 The Dude, Fizz, City of Columbia, Experience Columbia SC, and Richland County.
ABOUT SUSTAINABLE MIDLANDS:
The mission of Sustainable Midlands is to encourage responsible growth, ensure access to local food and establish a healthy environment for all Midlands communities. Our focus areas include: new urbanism land use, clean water, clean air and support for our local economy.
To purchase tickets or find out more about The Tasty Tomato Festival, please visit www.TastyTomatoFestival.com.
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