HOTEL BLOG

Video by Virginia Edwards

Love tomatoes and having a good time? If you answered ‘yes’ to both, then the French Market Creole Tomato Festival is your kind of place. Celebrating the mighty Creole tomato (a popular ingredient in many popular New Orleans dishes) the festival brings together food, fun and tradition.

This year’s festival is set to take place on June 8 and 9 from 10am to 7pm each day. Anyone can attend this event and it’s a great one to bring the whole gang out to as it’s free to everyone. This is the 33rd go around for the market’s festival and it’s sure to be just as carefree and quirky as usual.

The event kicks off in typical New Orleans style with a second line band travelling through the festival grounds. Once the festival is open there is tons to see, do... and taste. Take in a little or a lot. The choice is up to you. There will be cooking demonstrations, a Bloody Mary market, food and beverage booths from local farmers, two stages of live music (featuring local acts such as: Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Jonny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, Little Freddie King, Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, Smoky Greenwell), children’s activities, and much more.

Food at the festival is typically based around Creole tomato favorites such as: fried green tomatoes, Creole tomato Bloody Marys, Creole tomato with shrimp salad, stuffed shrimp with grilled Creole tomato over jasmine rice, Creole tomato basil crepes, Creole tomato cream crawfish pies, blooming onion on a bed of Creole tomato, and even Creole tomato gelato!

If you’re heading to the festival, but are not from the city you’ll want to find comfortable accomodation in the New Orleans area. The Best Western Plus Westbank has everything you need for a relaxing and affordable stay.

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