Warren goes pink for 68th tomato fest

The 2024 Pink Tomato Festival in Warren had perfect summer weather to mark another in the long history of celebrating Bradley County’s king crop.

The region has long been known for the particular variety of tomato that bears the same name as the county. Come each June, farmers begin to deliver truckloads of fresh picked fruit to the Warren tomato sheds to be hand wrapped and packed into cardboard boxes. From there, they are shipped out across the nation.

Warren’s Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual event. This year was the 68th consecutive festival, said Chamber Executive Director Terrie White.

This makes the Pink Tomato Festival the longest running festival in Arkansas.

“Even during covid, we did a smaller version to keep our unbroken record intact,” White said. “Our biggest hits are the tomato eating contest, the Little Miss Pink Tomato Pageant and the tomato packing contest. We’ve added a cornhole tournament for the first time this year.”

The Friday schedule included a tomato packing contest, the Cutest Baby contest, “Great Bowls of Fire” salsa contest and Nashville based country artist Erin Gibney with Midnight South performing on the Ryburn Motors Main Stage at 8 p.m.

Another popular annual Friday night activity is the All-School Reunion that saw more than 100 former Lumberjacks gather to reminisce about old times.

In addition to the many activities put on by the Chamber, the Bradley County Extension Homemakers’ Clubs also plan, prepare and serve the All Tomato Luncheon.

Beginning just past noon Saturday, the First Baptist Church Activities Center was filled with more than 200 patrons sitting down to enjoy the tomato-themed bill of fare. The menu included chicken salad stuffed tomato, tomarinated carrots, tomato bean almondine and heavenly tomato cake.

Saturday also included the PTF 5K run, a pie cooking competition and three categories of the ever popular tomato eating competition sponsored by Union Bank of Warren, Hermitage and Monticello.

The first category began with 10 children, ages 12 and under, seated on the courthouse square stage to eat as many raw tomatoes as they could manage in a two minute period.

Next up was the VIP category that included all five of this year’s Pink Tomato pageant queens along with John Davis, Joel Tolefree and state Rep. Jeff Wardlaw. Following a timed three minute run, reigning champion Wardlaw held onto his top tomato eater crown, followed by Davis in second and Addyson Spearmen in third.

The final Professional category was for ages 13 and up. Earl Charles took the $100 first place prize for eating 2.68 pounds of tomatoes in three minutes. The $75 second place prize went to Ryan Ashcroft with 2.31 pounds while teenager Ruby Baker took home $50 for third place with 2.18 pounds consumed.

Dignitaries among the crowd included Bradley County Sheriff Herschel Tillman as well as Pike County Sheriff Travis Hill. Other elected officers were former state Rep. John Lipton and Keith Ingram along with current Warren Mayor Gregg Reep.

“It’s great to be back here participating in the festival for the 16th year,” said Wardlaw, who represents District 8 in the state House of Representatives. “This is my last election cycle before I term out. I’d like to see us get back to practicing politics by kicking off with officials joining voters in local activities like this.”

One candidate on hand to meet constituents was state Treasurer hopeful John Pagan.

“I’m a David Pryor Democrat,” Pagan said. “He and his son Mark loved this event. It’s an honor to be here representing the party. This is politics practiced the way it should be.”

Visiting guest Kat Robinson chairs the annual Cherokee Village Pie Festival. She explained an addition to PTF for 2024.

“This is a really cool thing introducing a new pie baking competition this year,” said Robinson, a contest judge.

The challenge includes two categories, “tomato pie” and “non-tomato pie.” Pre-teen Madison Nashburn won first place for her non-tomato pastry with an old fashion coconut pie while Mary Mullens placed first in the second category with her green tomato pie.

Other events included the Little Miss Pink Tomato Pageant as well as the steak cooking contest.

Steak contestants relocated from their previous placement in years past lining Main Street to the shade of spreading oaks behind the old National Guard armory on Highway 63.

Steak Cookoff winners were Randy Mooney in first, John Green in second and Paul Doshier placed third. The competition was close with less than a three point difference in scores from first to eighth place.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. live music kicked-off on the Ryburn Motors Main Stage with singer andsongwriter Ward Davis. Davis’ country compositions include, “Good and Drunk,” “Old Wore Out Cowboys,” “Time to Move On,” “Black Cats and Crows” and “Live a Lie.”

Ward’s 90 minute performance was followed by Tyler Farr taking the stage from 8:30-10 p.m. His record titles include 2013’s “Redneck Crazy” and 2015’s “Suffer in Peace” along with a 2023 EP, “Rednecks Like Me.”

“I believe we had more people for 2024 than we’ve seen for several years,” Bradley County Historical Museum founder JeNelle Lipton said of this year’s crowd.

Crowd estimates for the weekend finale ranged from 3,500 to 4,000 in attendance at the evening concert.

First State Bank of Warren, Heritage and Hampton sponsored a grand finale fireworks display immediately following the concert.