Vicki Sawyer, Balancing Act at the Tomato Circus (detail)
The Tomato Art Fest was founded in East Nashville by the owners Art and Invention Gallery. In 2004, the gallery hosted an art show celebrating the tomato in late summer, and planned a few neighborhood events to promote the show. The Tomato Art Fest proved so popular that it immediately turned into an annual, signature event celebrating local artists. The festival is a community builder and has steadily drawn larger crowds each year. Over 20,000 people come annually to celebrate this beloved fruit/vegetable and enjoy the day’s festivities. It has been voted “Nashville’s Best Festival” five years in a row. The festival is located in Historic East Nashville’s Five Points area, which has been coined by Budget Travel Magazine as “Nashville’s version of New York’s East Village.” www.tomatoartfest.com
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