By Sydney Winn
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The annual Tomato Festival in Columbia will celebrate 20 years when the free event returns to the University of Missouri’s Jefferson Farm and Garden 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4.
Since its first harvest in 2005, the festival has grown from a modest tomato tasting into a signature event showcasing more than 150 tomato varieties, peppers, ground cherries and more, says Tim Reinbott, MU Extension director of field operations.
Hot peppers at the 2024 Tomato Festival at MU Jefferson Farm and Garden.
This year’s milestone event will honor “20 Lessons Learned in 20 Years” by blending agricultural wisdom with the Tomato Festival’s trademark fun, says Reinbott, one of the original organizers of the festival.
“The Tomato Festival has always been about more than tasting tomatoes,” he says. “It’s about sharing knowledge, celebrating agriculture and connecting people to where their food comes from. This year, we’re honoring everything we’ve learned along the way.”
Visitors can sample heirlooms and hybrids, taste a variety of peppers and visit the hot pepper tent, learn the difference between determinate and indeterminate plants, and discover why mulching is more than just a weed-control trick, he says.
The all-ages event includes cooking demos, salsa tastings, kids’ activities, educational talks and tours of the tomato patch. Reinbott says attendees can get practical tips from the field on the importance of cover crops, why calcium nitrate is key to sweetness and how to win the war against tomato hornworms.
The MU Jefferson Farm and Garden Extension and Education Center is at 4800 New Haven Road, Columbia.
Admission is free.