Sound Bites: What to expect at Memphis’ first Edgy Tomato Festival
Juiced What You Needed is a vendor at the 2026 Edgy Tomato Fesival, where they plan to sell pasta with fresh, locally-grown cherry tomatoes and a tomato lemonade. (Courtesy Edible Memphis)
It’s time for Memphis to celebrate the beautiful yet humble tomato officially. The summery fruit is at the heart of a new festival happening in the Edge District in Downtown Memphis on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Inspired by tomato festivals around the country, including the popular Tomato Arts Festival in Nashville, Edible Memphis Editor Stacey Greenberg decided this year to get some sauce going for a Memphis version.
Memphis’ first Edgy Tomato Fest is a neighborhood event in the Edge District
With help from Memphis Craft Club leader Anna House and Ugly Art Co. founder Anderson Goin, Greenberg and others have organized the inaugural Edgy Tomato Festival. The event is from 4 to 9 p.m. and is free to enter.
Greenberg and Goin joined me on this week’s “Sound Bites” episode to talk about what attendees can expect, including food, drinks, art, handmade items for sale, a flash tattoo station and an all-red car show at the Edge Motor Museum.
Art is by Anna House and Lauren Holtermann. Click the magnifying glass to see a larger version. (Courtesy Edible Memphis)
Ugly Art Co. will host a tomato-art contest with tempting prizes. At press time, there were 85 entries submitted by everyone from “20-year classically trained artists … and then my 7-year-old niece,” Goin said.
He founded the artist collective in 2021, and the group has grown to include about 30 artists. The space at 635 Madison Ave. hosts gallery shows and community art events such as Like Really Creative’s collage parties.
Tomato event hopes to grow
Greenberg hopes this year’s Edgy Tomato Festival can show potential for future events.
“We want more people to come forward with their ideas and really help us grow and make it weirder and funner and cooler,” she said. “There is so much room to grow this, … and I do want to see a parade. Nashville has a krewe, … the Ketchup Krewe, and they are tomato-themed clowns. This is the dream. Please. Come to Memphis. I’m ready.”
(It’s important to note Greenberg is a self-professed clown fan. Also, check out her past appearances on “Sound Bites” here.)
Also on the podcast, we answered listener questions and shared our favorite tomato-centric foods. Also, what’s the deal with the “tomato-girl summer” trend of the last few years? We discussed.
Stacey Greenberg (left) is one of the organizers for the inaugrual Edgy Tomato Festival with help from Anderson Goin (right) of Ugly Art Co., whose art collective is hosting a tomato-art contest. (From left to right: Courtesy Edible Memphis; Courtesy Mary Gunning)
Memphis artist market feeds off tomato aesthetic, handmade trend
Edgy Tomato Fest will have an artist’s market with more than 30 local creators selling tomato-themed goods. Think jewelry, apparel, art, posters, handsewn items.
“What I’ve noticed is that people are valuing handmade, locally created things … and then also kind of including your own sense of style and funkiness,” Goin said. “I think it also gives artists a chance to reimagine things and create new things. So I love it. I’m for tomato-girl summer.”
Be sure to check out Edible Memphis’ guide to tomato dishes. It features food available at local restaurants as well as special bites served only at the festival. A few of those:
- Sonoran hot dog with tomato-cucumber salad from Hard Times Deli
- Cold tomato gazpacho, panzanella salad and smoked green-tomato cocktail from JEM Dining
- Homemade pasta with Tubby Creek-farm cherry tomatoes and tomato lemonade from Juiced What You Needed
- Roasted tomato and goat cheese popsicle from Mempops
- Home Place Pastures burger with tomato aioli and green tomato margarita and michelada from Flyway Brewing
Watch the full episode below.
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Topics
Edge District Edgy Tomato Festival Stacey Greenberg Anderson Goin Ugly Art Co.Holly Whitfield
Holly has more than 13 years of experience in publishing and digital content, including 10 years at the helm of the I Love Memphis Blog. She began her career at The Commercial Appeal and is author of Secret Memphis.
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