French Market Creole Tomato Festival
Creole cuisine wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the delectable tomato—which is why there’s an entire summer fest dedicated to this amazing fruit. In June, you really see the fresh tomato dishes highlighted on menus around the city, and they are irresistible at farmers markets. Tomato crops debut each June, with the tomato festival held the second weekend in celebration.
Local “Creole tomatoes” are at the heart of some of the most famed dishes in town. Get a taste of this one-of-a-kind tomato, originally hailing from the West Indies yet thriving in the regional soil and climate of Louisiana. The tomato festival has been an annual gathering for over two decades, and it’s where you’ll be introduced to traditions like auctioning off the first tomatoes of the crop for pretty pennies!
Go Tomatoes!
It’s no coincidence that shrimp season begins at the same time as tomato season. (Otherwise, how would we get our best jambalaya of the year?) See the “Making Groceries” seminar at the French Market, which hosts the festival and has a rich history dating back to 1791.
Enjoy plenty of cooking demonstrations, tastings, live music, farmers markets, and the annual Creole Tomato Parade. Indulge in fried green tomatoes, Creole tomato soup, and of course bottomless Creole Tomato Bloody Marys.