The Great Heirloom Tomato Festival (& Other Bay Area Food Fests)

Heirloom Tomato Festival

If this looks like a dirty rotten tomato to you, then you’ve got to do yourself a favor and taste your first heirloom immediately.

I don’t know about you, but I’d pay $65 for a day of wine tasting and heirloom tomato soup with little mini grilled cheese sandwiches floating in it. Um, yum!

Plus, proceeds support the School Garden Network of Sonoma. And even though I don’t really know what that is, all tomatoes taste better with a side of philanthropy.

Tickets Are Only $12!

Yeah, unless you’re a total jerk like me and you sometimes still use your expired student I.D. Parking is free, and the festival also lasts 3 days, so you don’t have to cancel any hot dates. This years festival is set to take place on July 24-26.

(Salsa & Beer Too)

Thirty-five bucks buys you an all-day pass for beer, salsa and chili tasting. The 2009 festival is coming up May 9.

Is there any artichoke under that grease?

Fun Artichoke Fact!

This is a cardoon, the coolest flower ever. It’s related to the artichoke, and sure to be spotted as you’re enjoying fried/grilled/pickled artichokes and the like. You can even fulfill your lifelong dream of interviewing farmers about their artichoke harvesting techniques!

Stockton Asparagus Festival

Marysville Peach Festival

July 18 & 19 – Free entry – Just pay for what you eat. Peach pie, peach turnovers, peach jam, peach ice cream…What’s not to like?

Loomis Eggplant Festival

Chocolate-dipped mandarins are key...

And definitely check out the mandarin bbq sauce. $5, Nov. 22 & 23.

C'mon, get excited! Pablo Neruda would have wanted you to...

The Heirloom Tomato festival takes place every year in September. The 2009 date is set for Sept 12.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival

Great Petaluma Chili Cookoff

Who says us Yankees can’t make good chili? This festival allows both judges and crowds to cast votes for 35 teams of chili and salsa, and test out local brews.

Castroville Artichoke Festival

Don’t be fooled by the healthy appearance of the Giant Artichoke Family Diner. I went there and discovered that artichokes are pretty much the only vegetable on the menu. And they’re served deep-fried and smothered with ranch dressing. Road food at its finest!

Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cookoff

The only thing that could possibly make up for the dumb people dressed in scuba masks and mermaid costumes is endless chowder. It’s only $8 to taste five chowders. Sorry kids – the next Santa Cruz Chowder Cookoff is in February 2010.

The deep-fried asparagus are legendary. The 2010 festival is slated for sometime in mid-April, so don’t agree to be anyone’s bridesmaid or anything.

They’ve got it all from classic eggplant savories, to belgian waffles topped with eggplant syrup.

Mountain Mandarin Festival (Auburn)

There’s nothin like peeling a fresh mandarin in the fresh mountain air. Hey, I think so…