Record crowds expected at this summer’s Toronto Tomato Festival

More than 250,000 people are due to flock to Toronoto’s Showme Showground this August, to enjoy the fruits of Canada’s thriving tomato industry. The festival will run over two days and showcase the best of the country’s produce, with an array of family-friendly stalls, activities and workshops.

For the first time in the festival’s six year history, the weekend will culminate in a Spanish-style ‘La Tomatino’ food fight, which will see registered participants go head to head in a tomato throwing spectacle that is sure to delight the crowds. Special crates of inedible produce will be brought in from across the country especially for this dramatic finale.

Mr Trent Trugood, the director of the Toronto Tomato Festival, said yesterday, that the festival continues to grow in popularity every year because it’s about so much more than just tomatoes.

“The festival really puts Canada on the map, as a producer of high quality fruit. Our farming and permaculture techniques are at the cutting edge, and the world is really starting to notice”, Trugood said.

“Farming aside, this festival also showcases the talents of some of Toronto’s most celebrated chef’s who have spent a good deal of energy and enthusiasm, designing food stalls and cooking workshops to really hero the tomato on the plate”, said Trugood.

Over the course of the weekend, festival attendees will have the chance to sample in excess of 30 varieties of tomato, including some hybrid types that have never before been available to the general public.

From tomato tastings and cooking demonstrations, to craft and horticulture workshops, there really is something for everyone. The kids haven’t been forgotten either, with a number of workshops and activities designed specifically for the littlest of tomato lovers - including learning how to make paint out of tomatoes!

Other festival highlights include a guest appearance by the cast of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, and a live concert featuring some of Canada’s best music exports, including none other than Avril Lavigne.

During the festival weekend, Toronto’s Main Street restaurants and hotels will be offering special tomato-oriented menus, meal deals and discounted hotel rates.

For a full list of events, or to learn more about Toronto’s first ever ‘La Tomatino’ food fight, visit the festival website: www.tomatofest.com.

The Toronto Tomato Festival runs from Saturday August 4 - Sunday August 5, 2018. Gates open at 9am and close at 5pm.