Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2025 by Tracey Wolfe, Grainger County Journal.
RUTLEDGE – The Grainger County Tomato Festival takes place next week.
The festivities will kick off Thursday, July 17 as participants kick up their heels at a street dance and cruise in from 6 until 9 p.m. at SunFresh Produce in Rutledge.
The festival celebrate the county’s famous fruit, the Grainger County Tomato, as well as the county’s rich history and talented artists, craftsmen and its hardworking farmers.
Farm-fresh produce, hand-crafted items, art, books, festival foods and more will be available for purchase, while antique tractors and automobiles will be on display. The Living History area will feature antique artifacts and demonstrations of old techniques. Competitors team up to fight for victory in the Tomato Wars, while cloggers will bring energy to the dance stage with performances throughout the day.
Vendor setup will begin Friday morning at 7 a.m. and will continue until noon. Shopping begins at noon and will take place until 6 p.m. The Grainger County Opry takes center stage beginning at 6:30 p.m. with local performers and special guests providing musical performances and entertaining comedy. Praying for Rain will return to the Opry this year. The Nashville based band features Grainger County native Jeff Stansberry, Mike Bryant Sheryl Neal and Chris Natham. The Lawless Band will also perform. The band includes Matt Whitaker, Robert Cutshaw, Robert Crucilla, Randy Jones and Steve Sweeker. The Gospel Strings, Bryan happen, Jayden Trott, Cliff & Deb Jestice, Roy Lovin and the Central Point Boys will add local flair to the night’s performances with their return to the Opry stage. “Minnie Pearl” and “Josephine” will add the joy of laughter to the evening’s entertainment with their comedic performances.
Saturday morning, July 19, brings another opportunity for vendor set up before 8:30 a.m. and the festival will begin at 9 a.m. Sign-ups for the Tomato Wars will begin at 9 a.m. and the first battle will commence at 10 a.m. Clogging performances will take place on the dance stage from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and musical performances will take place on the main stage throughout the day. The festival will conclude at 6 p.m.
Be sure to pick up a copy of the Thursday, July 17 issue of the Grainger County Journal for a special section devoted to the Grainger County Tomato Festival. Inside, readers will find information about vendors, festival events and a map of the festival grounds.
