Upcoming Events for the Cherokee Lake Area…

33rd Annual 2026
Grainger County Tennessee
​Tomato Festival July 17-18, 2026

Friday July 17th:
Festival 12:00 to 6:00 pm
​Grainger County Opry:

 6:30-9:00 pm
      The Opry will be all local talent including music and comedy.

Saturday July 18th:
 9:00 am to 4:00 pmGrainger County Tomato Festival
​ 
7480 Rutledge Pike Rutledge, TN 37861


The Grainger County Tomato Festival was organized in 1992 to promote our world-famous Grainger County Tomatoes. Our mission is to promote all Grainger County agricultural products, specifically the Grainger County Tomato, and to promote the many local artists, authors, talent, and craftsmen we have in our area. Over the years we have added a number of special events making the festival one of the largest free festivals in East Tennessee and has been named by Parade magazine as one of the top ten festivals in the USA.
 The festival is always in the month of July in Rutledge, Tennessee. Be sure to mark your calendars! You don’t want to miss it.

The Tomato Festival is a family event, and we ask all our vendors and visitors to please be considerate and not smoke (cigarettes, vapes, cigars, pipes, etc…) nor have alcohol on the festival grounds. Good Southern manners that will make your mamaw proud is all we ask for. Thank you.


We would like to welcome Grainger County Ridge Runners Car Club to this years festival. We believe these folks will have a variety of amazing vehicles for all ages to enjoy.
                Saturday Only
Visit Grainger County Ridge Runner Car Club Facebook page

Pets are welcome and we have several water stations on the festival grounds. We also have misting tents for cooling off that the critters and their people love.

Grainger County Opry

Friday July 17 6:30pm-9pmRutledge Middle School GymWe’re back with lots of laughs and great music
Rita and Susan Key will be back this year with their delectable and creative chocolates. They will be located in the elementary school. We would like to congratulate The Chocolate Ladies on their wins at Chocolate Fest
Art & Authors
In the elementary schoolWe have several accomplished authors at the festival this year. They are all inside with air conditioning where you can meet them, buy their books, and get them personalized. 

Featuring:

Grace & Thistle Boutique
Sweet Little Things Bakery
Sherapy Sugar Therapy
Rogersville Review
Happy Hollow
Mtn Hill Press
Lora Sinard
The Chocolate Ladies
Moment in Time
Dreams of Glass
Mossy Creek Designs
Piney Knobb Creations
United Daughters of the Confederacy
Betty Martin
Grainger County Historical Society
David Boyce
Sylver Michaela
Ark Books
Piney Knobb
Carol McClain
4-H/FSC Canning
Ken Coffey
Authors Guild of TN
Air Mobile Ministries
Kyle Grainger
Shannon Renea  
Tomato Wars
Time 10:00 AMAll of the money raised by the Tomato Wars will go to the Grainger Co 4-HTomato Wars Application2026_tomato_wars.pdfDownload FileHistoric Calendars are Back
The Grainger County Historic Society will have the  calendars featuring drawings by Wendy Leedy for sale at the Tomato Festival inside the elementary school.Elmo
As always we are proud to have the Kerbela Engineers of Morristown Shriners Elmo Train back. Bring the kids for a ride on this cute and colorful train and help the Shrines raise money to help children in need.