VIVA NOLA June-July 2023

Out and about
Creole Tomato Festival
By AnaMaría Bech
@anamabech
SHOPPING • RESTAURANTS • EVENTS
JUN 3
JUL 4
AUG 19
Upcoming Events
A Picnic for All Y’all!
Independence Day 4th Fest
Barbegazi Snoball Fight presented by
Krewe of Krampus
6 blocks FRENCHMARKET.ORG open daily
If you can identify a Louisiana
staple, whether a music genre,
dish, fruit, vegetable, or anything
else, you can bet a festival is
dedicated to it!
In 1986 a festival was created
for the succulent Louisiana
Creole tomatoes. Known for
their bright red color, juicy
flesh, and sweet and spicy
flavor, creole tomatoes became
highly coveted by chefs, creole
families, and home cooks alike.
It makes sense to celebrate
the bounty of the state of
Louisiana in its high season
with the Creole Tomato
Festival. Its 37th edition will
take place on June 10 and 11
at the historic French Market.
During this summer festival,
you can buy the most delicious
creole tomatoes and please
your palate with various dishes
based on this staple. The food
list is long. Among many other
offerings, you can get Fried
Baby Back Ribs from Cafe
Dauphine, Stuffed Tomatoes
from Nuevo Horizonte, Creole
Tomato Stuffed with Cool and
Creamy Shrimp Pasta from
LaDelyo’s Creole Catering,
Oxtails from Numada, Creole
Tomato Jambalaya from Lillie’s
Cajun Kitchen, Shrimp and
Sausage Stew from Cuties And
Cuisine.
The Bloody Mary, a tomatobased
cocktail, will be available
in many variations. Cornet
Restaurant will have a Zestyinfused
vodka Bloody Mary
and Oh! Sweet Lemon will have
Mangonada (Spicy Mango
Mexican slushy) Bloody Mary,
Ms. Linda, the Yakamein Lady,
will bring her Yakamary. You can
judge them all.
The historic French Market
is the perfect setting for this
family-friendly event. The
festival is free, with music
stages at the market, Dutch
Alley and the New Orleans Jazz
National Historical Park on 916
N. Peters Street will feature local
bands starting at 10 a.m. with
a variety of genres from Tonya
Boyd Cannon, Davis Rogan
Band, Josh Starkman, Alicia
“Blue” Smith, Ravee Quintet,
and the Latin Rhythms of Yusa,
Alexey Marti, Julio and Cesar,
Muévelo and Asheson, plus the
funk of Bo Dollis Jr & the Wild
Magnolias, Kamau Spirit of the
Drums, and Mestre Curtis Pierre
and Afro-Brazilian drumming,
among others. You can even
begin Sunday with a yoga
session with Move Ya Brass and
enjoy kids’ activities in Dutch
Alley and cooking demos from
noon to 4 P.M. at the Southern
Food and Beverage Museum
Stage in the French Market.
The Creole Tomato Festival in
New Orleans is an opportunity
to celebrate the richness and
diversity of Louisiana’s cuisine
and honor the exceptional flavor
of Creole tomatoes. Enjoy the
music, the food, and the drinks.
Shop from the local artisans and
vendors of the market and take
home some juicy, fresh Creole
Tomatoes and the memories of
another great time in the historic
French Market.
For a full line-up of the French
Market Creole Tomato Festival,
visit frenchmarket.org