2022 Grainger County Tomato Festival

Tomato Festival brings history to life

The Living History area at the Grainger County Tomato Festival will feature a number of craftsmen demonstrating the ways of times gone by and o ering handcrafted items for purchase.

John Beckwith will display his handmade reproduction Indian Trade Silver and historic crosses. Beckwith will also demonstrate his work creating wooden spoons and walking sticks.

Barbara Moore’s one-of-a-kind traditional Native American Designs will include painted leather jewelry, o -loom bead work, dream catchers and medicine wheels.

Leather smith Gary Prater will demonstrate leather work and will have handmade leather items available for purchase. Prater o ers custom-made items and enjoys making items of historical interest.

Jenni Kelly of Kelly Pottery will demonstrate clay on the wheel techniques and answer questions about pottery making. She will have handmade pottery available for purchase. She enjoys creating items from early American designs.

Tin smith David D. Drake has been smithing for 22 years. He will demonstrate the use of tools and techniques to make pots, kettles, cups and other replicas of the 18th century.

Susan Libby is a new addition to the Living History area. She will bring an 1860s era Davis treadle sewing machine and a 1906 Singer treadle sewing machine to display. Libby makes a number of handcrafted fabric items.

David L. Adams of Tennesseans for Living History is also new to the Living History area this year. He makes black powder bags, powder horns, blowing “fox” horns and knives. Adams has been constructing period correct black powder accoutrements since 1965.

Tomato Wars

The rules of the game

Grainger County’s famous Tomato Wars will ensue Saturday, July 23.

The battles are open to all individuals who can field a team. Groups will be divided into three di erent age groups. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The battles will begin with those age 12 and under at 10 a.m. followed by those 13 to 16 years old, those 17 to 25 years old, 26 to 49 years old and those 50 years old and older, respectively.

Everyone who signs up to play in a timely manner will be able to play. The cost to participate is $5 per team member, or a total of $25 per team. All funds raised will go to Yoke Youth Ministry.

Teams will consist of five members. Those under 18 years old must provide a parent or guardians signature to be able to participate.

Each team must have a name, and must remain at the infield site and be prepared to battle when

their age group/team name is called. Not doing so could result in a forfeit. Trophies will be awarded in each age category.

All participants should wear light colored t-shirts. Players will be provided a fixed amount of well-ripened tomato ammunition. Anyone who attempts to use anything other than the tomato ammunition provided will be disqualified.

All participants should use safety glasses. Otherwise a waiver must be signed recognizing it is the player’s decision not to wear safety glasses during play.

Team members will be considered “dead” when there is evidence of a direct hit on their shirt. Hits elsewhere will be considered “wounding.”

Ammunition will be limited to prevent excessive “wounding.” Each match will last until all players on a team are “dead” or 30 minutes have elapsed.

Disputes will be settled by the referees. All referee decisions are final. When the referees whistle blows, all play must stop. No physical contact is permitted between contestants. Combatants must act in a

respectful manner. Physical violence and excessive use of inappropriate language will not be tolerated and could result in a team member being ejected from the war.

There will be musical performances by Randy & Rodney Holt, Gospel Strings, Cooter Daniel, KristeNicole, Cli and Deb Jestice, Tommy White, Matt Byrd, Central Point Boys, Jayden Trott, Tina Morrow and special guest Billy Sales and the Double Barrel Band. Minnie Pearl and Mark Livesay will provide comic relief throughout the evening.

10:30 a.m. – Motown Cloggers  11:00 a.m. – Broken Spur Line Dancers  11:30 a.m. – Dancers Unlimited

Noon – Stepping Out Line Dancers

12:30 p.m. – Pine Mountain Dancers

1 p.m. – Deb McCarter – Clogging

1:30 p.m. – Tennessee Foothills Cloggers

2 p.m. – Tennessee Foothills Cloggers (Mississippi Squirrel)

Street dance and cruise in to precede Tomato Festival

RUTLEDGE – The first event of the Grainger County Tomato Festival will be a pre-festival street dance and cruise in held at SunFresh Produce and Service Center in Rutledge, Thursday, July 21.

The street dance and cruise in will take place from 6 until 9 p.m. Music will be provided by KC Entertainment. Food and types of local vendors will be onsite for the event.

VENDORS

2022 Official Map

Grainger County Opry performers

Comedy: Minnie Pearl, Mark Livesay

Music Preformers:

Randy & Rodney Holt

Gospel Strings

Cooter Daniel

Cli and Deb Jestice

Tommy White

Matt Byrd

Central Point Boys

Jayden Trott

Tina Morrow

KristeNicole

Billy Sales and the Double Barell Band

Main Stage Country and Gospel

9:00-9:45 a.m. Cli and Deb Jestice

10:00-10:45 a.m. Central Point Boys

11:00-11:45 a.m.

Tommy White

12:00 -12:45 p.m. Cooter Daniel and KristeNicole

1:00-1:45 p.m. Friendly View Trio

2:00-2:45 p.m.

Matt Byrd Band

3:00-3:45 p.m.

Aaron Justice

4:00-4:45 p.m. Cli and Deb Jestice

5:00 -5:45 p.m. Kerry Kight

Dance Stage

10:30 a.m. – Motown Cloggers

11:00 a.m. – Broken Spur Line Dancers

11:30 a.m. – Dancers Unlimited

12:00 p.m. – Stepping Out Line Dancers

12:30 p.m. – Pine Mountain Dancers

1:00 p.m. – Deb McCarter – Clogging

1:30 p.m. – Tennessee Foothills Cloggers

2:00 p.m. – Tennessee Foothills Cloggers (Mississippi Squirrel)

Artists and Authors

The Flower Cottage

Warren Gill

Smokey Moments

Photography

Janet Stuart

David Boyce

Grainger Co. Historical Society

Union Co. Historical Society

Betty Martin

Delonda Calfee

Jimmy Duncan Jr

Sylver Michaela

Lin and JL Stepp

Lora Sinard

Ursula Stinnett

Ken Manning Metal and Stones Jewelry

The Chocolate Ladies

Jack Sabo

Living History Area

Featuring: Blacksmith, leatherwork, spoon carving, herbs, Latino food and culture, foxhorns, antiques, soap, wool spinning, antique engine and corn mill

112. Grainger Today

Water

121. Ridgeview Nursing Home

125. Cruise Planners

127. Don & Lynn’s Creations

128. Our Savior Lutheran - water

to be announced

Vendors include:

Kelvin Ryder

Gary Prater

John Beckwith

Belfire Botanicals

SJPII Catholic Mission

David Adams

Caleb Bailey

Jack and Jamie Harvey

Dorian

Steve DeVault

Pens by Carl, Papaw’s Goat Soaps

Map provided by the Grainger County Tomato Festivial

Grainger Today Art and Drawing Contest entries to be on display at Tomato Festival

BEAN STATION – All entries in the Grainger Today Art and Drawing Contest will be on display at the Art and Authors area of the Grainger County Tomato Festival.

Contestants were asked to submit original art for the theme “All Things Tomato.” First and second place winners were chosen in each of five age categories.

The winners are:

• Ages six and younger –Callie Felosi, first place, and Ansley Haun, second place;

• ages seven to 10 – Chloe Felosi, first place, and Emma Toomey, second place;

• ages 11 to 13 – Kylan Gibbs, first place, and Alli Cochran, second place;

• ages 14 to 17 – Molly Brock, first place, and Guadalupe Martinez, second place; and

• ages 18 and older – Deborah Foster, first place, and Chelsea Kerby, second place.

Chloe Felosi first place ages seven to 10

Emma Toomey, second place – ages seven to 10

Ansley Haun, second place – ages six and younger

Additional contest winners on pages TF12-TF13

Kylan Gibbs, first place – ages 11 to 13

Alli Cochran, second place – ages 11 to 13

Brock first place ages 14 to

Guadalupe Martinez, second place – ages 14 to 17

Chelsea Kerby, second place – ages 18 and older

Deborah Foster, first place – ages 18 and older