Southern California Tomato Festivals in 2024: Where, When and More to Find a Tomato Festival Near You!

Looking for a Tomato festival in December 2024? There is no other listing as complete and current as this list, just updated! Tomato festivals are held through the United States, Canada, Britain, and Australia and much of the world. All the Tomato festivals we can find are listed on this page! If you love tomatoes, look for a festival near you below! And I'm looking for more Tomato festivals! Please write me, if you know of any to add!  I update the dates as soon as the festivals publish their information, but you can always click on the links (usually the name of the festival) to see the current information on the festival's own website. 

Especially this year, due to Coronavirus, be sure to click on the links (the blue, underlined name of the each festival) to confirm this year's dates on the website for each festival. If they don't have a website, call the phone number provided, but ALWAYS CONFIRM THIS YEAR'S DATES AND TIMES BY EITHER VIEWING THEIR WEBSITE OR CALLING.

Click here for the form to add a festival and have detailed information; or click here if you have general information and are not connected with the event!

Southern California 2024Tomato Festivals Festivals - Where, When and More Details!

Southern California

Tomatoes are a warm and hot weather crop, and typically are locally harvested from, July to October. There are two general types of Tomato festivals 1) community festivals, usually organized by a church, school, local Chamber of commerce or a town and 2). Tomato festival held at and by a farm

They are different in what they offer, so they are grouped separately. (of course not all states and areas have both. And following the festival listings are links to our easy to follow directions about making Tomato jam, freezing Tomatoes, Tomato pies and much more. 

Community Tomato Festivals

Imperial County

• Niland Chamber of Commerce Tomato and Sportsman Festival - early February every year
  8031 Highway 111, Niland, California 92257. Phone: 760-359-0870. UPDATE for 2021, Their website is gone; There's nothing else current about them on the internet, so I assume they have closed. If you have any information to the contrary, please write me. Games, Food, Entertainment, Queen Contest, Tomato Packing Contest, Parade, Pancake Breakfast, "DROP 7"-Friday-Live Music and Dancing "GRUPO FIRME"-Saturday-Live Music and Dancing, Super Bowl XLV Sunday-Free Showing, Raffles & Swap Meet. Vendors are welcome!

Riverside County

• Inland Empire Salsa Festival - typically held in mid May, 11 am to 7 pm
  White Park, 3936 Chestnut St, Riverside, California 92501. Phone: (951) 274-4908. 2016 prices were $14. There will be salsa tasting, live entertainment, a free kids play area, talent competition and a wine & beer garden. Prixzes awarded for Best Salsa. Bands and live music.

Ventura County

• Capay Tomato Festival - mid- July , 3-11 p.m.
  23800 Hwy 16, Capay, CA 95607. Held annually on the farm. Heirloom & Cherry Tomato Tasting, Tractor Trailer Rides, Harvest Activity & Make Your Own Herb Salt, Live Music and Dancing, Contest for Best Guest Picnic, Self-Guided Farm Walking Tour, Kids' Activities and Arts & Crafts, Petting Zoo, Olive Oil & Grapeseed Oil Tasting and more! There is also free camping available.
• Oxnard Annual Salsa Festival - typically in late July from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
  Oxnard, CA. Phone: (805) 247-0197.  Admission and parking are Free. Pets and coolers are not permitted. The event includes salsa food competitions, food vendors, arts & crafts, and plenty of dancing with spicy Salsa bands.

Farm Tomato Festivals

In addition to community and church festivals, some private farms have their own tomato festivals in June.  See each farm for this year's dates (they often do not announce them until the end of May). They usually have PYO Tomatoes then, too.  Also, scroll down to see the links to recipes, freezing, canning and jam making directions at the bottom of the page.

Ventura County

• Boccali Vineyard & Winery Tomato Festival & Wine Tasting - September TBA, 4:30-8:30 pm
  Boccali's Oak View, 3277 Santa Paula Ojai Rd, Ojai, CA. This evening event includes delicious samples, live music and wine. Wine tasting tickets are sold at the door for $10.General admission to event is around $25, which includes an all-you-can-eat buffet, non-alcoholic beverages, tax, & tip.

 

Related Tomato Information: Freezing, making Jam, Canning Pies, Recipes and More

Also, see our pages on easy illustrated Tomato directions:

Canning tomatoes (in water bath canners )

• How to can tomatoes using a water bath canner - W
• Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
• Tomato sauce - W
• Tomato paste - W
• Barbecue sauce (BBQ sauce) - W
• Chili sauce from your own tomatoes and peppers - W
• Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
• Tomato Preserves- W
• Tomato salsa - W
• Spaghetti sauce - without meat - W, P
• Spiced Green tomatoes- W
• Pickled Green Tomatoes - W - another pickled green tomato recipe, this one sweet
• Ketchup.. or if you prefer... How to make catsup - W, P
• NEW! SUPER-EASY homemade ketchup recipe
• Salsa from your unripe, GREEN tomatoes! - W
• Tomatillo salsa - W
• How to make roasted tomatoes, boiling water bath canner version - W

Canning Tomatoes in Pressure canners

• Canned tomatoes using a Pressure Canner - P
• NEW!Baked  Beans With Tomato or Molasses Sauce - P
• Canning your own chili con carne (with meat) - P
• How to make roasted tomatoes, pressure canner version - P
• Spaghetti sauce - with meat  - P
• Stewed tomatoes - P
• Tomato soup or tomato-basil soup - P
• Tomato sauce - P
• Tomato juice - P
• Tomato juice, like V8 - P

Freezing Tomatoes

• How to freeze tomatoes from you garden or the farm; for that fresh taste this winter!

For other fruit and vegetable festivals, see this page!