Harlem Park To Host NYC Tomato Festival

HARLEM, NY — It appears there's a festival for everything these days. On Sept. 15, Harlem's Denny Farrell Riverbank State Farm will host the NYC Tomato Festival — a celebration of the tasty red nightshades that find their way into salads, sandwiches and sauces of all varieties.

The festival will be held in the parks' greenhouse near Riverside Drive and West 141st Street and is being organized by the Horticultural Society of New York, according to a press release. The event will be open to the public and free for all to attend.

So what does one do at a tomato festival? It's mostly just eating.

Festivalgoers will be treated to tomato-centric creations from New York City chefs and taste-test a variety of different tomatoes. Kids will have the opportunity to hop onto a blender bike and try their hands at making their own gazpacho — a chilled tomato soup.

In addition to the tomato-themed activities, festivalgoers will also be able to tour the rest of the greenhouse and check out its collection of tropical, subtropical and temperate plants. New York Presbyterian hospital will also be doing health screenings and the Shinnyo Center will host a garden meditation session.

Photo by Adam Nichols/Patch