Despite years of success and growth, the people at the core of the Hanover Tomato Festival remain humble and modest about the impact they have had on the county.

On Friday, Oscar Watson, Lynn Watson and Donnie West, members of the Black Creek Volunteer Fire Department who also serve on the board of the Tomato Festival, talked about how a festival that started out in 1978 with an attendance of 300 has blossomed into an event that attracted 42,000 in 2007. Last year’s attendance was estimated at around 40,000.

That first year, the fire department – still “in the same location, same place it’s always been,” Lynn said – played host at the station on June 24.

“We didn’t make any money the first six or seven years,” Oscar said. The department decided to sponsor the festival as a means to “let the people know that we were there and to honor the [Hanover] tomato.”

Looking back, he said it took about a year to organize the first festival, with anywhere from eight to 10 people helping. Larry Sutton was the chairman the first year.

“We were just getting cranked up [as a department when the festival started],” Oscar added.

With a record number of vendors expected at this year’s festival, Lynn said the 1978 edition had one food booth. “We had one selling tomatoes; we had maybe 10, 15 craft vendors inside the building inside the bay. We had a dunking booth, fire/rescue demonstrations — we’d burn up cars. We had competitions,”
including the quickest firefighters putting on turnout gear and climbing a ladder.

“It’s just gotten more and more popular,” Lynn said. “People love their hometown festivals.”

That popularity meant more space was needed to accommodate the festival. “We grew out of Black Creek and couldn’t have it [there] anymore and we went to Battlefield Elementary School for several years,” she said.

Attendance at the school was so great that shuttles were used to transport people from parking areas nearby to the festival site.

“We came to Pole Green [Park] in 1999,” said Donnie.

“The school (Pole Green Elementary School) was under construction at the time,” Lynn added.

Attendance spiked, Oscar said, “when we moved here.”

With three moves over the course of three decades, Lynn referred to the Kevin Costner movie, “Field of Dreams,” and the famous phrase, “If you build it, he will come,” reworking the line “If you have it, they will come.”

Heading into the 31st Tomato Festival, her father said he has “worked every one of them but one.” Lynn said she has “worked every one of them for the past 20 years. We’re here a 0 dark 30 in the morning and leave at 4 o’clock, 5 o’clock in that area, as soon as we clean up.”

The Tomato Festival Board, which also includes Hanover County Parks and Recreation, The Herald Progress and The Mechanicsville Local, meets “all year long,” Lynn said. As soon as “this one is over, we start [planning for] next year. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes things that we do. Our members, of course, help with parking cars and selling tomatoes and parking vendors – just whatever it is that needs to be done.”

She said Black Creek VFD members “are here the whole day and the day before.

“We have people out here all day Friday and they start setting up and all during the week to draw out the grid for the vendors and everything.

“We’re here pretty much all day long on Friday too getting things done.”

The Tomato Festival remains the major fundraiser of the VFD, with monies raised being used toward training, equipment and even a utility truck.

“All proceeds benefit us,” Lynn said. “Whatever they buy – tomatoes, t-shirts, cookbooks – that all comes right back to us.”

Oscar’s agenda last Friday included placing an order for 175 bushels of tomatoes. “We buy ‘em, we sell ‘m from our main ‘mater man, Robbie Dodd of Dodd’s Acres Farms in Black Creek.” Lynn said Dodd is located “right around the corner from the fire house.” Her father chimed in, “He probably works every field down there.”

No matter how many years they’ve been taking on the responsibility of the Tomato Festival, Oscar said it still comes down to the community and the fire department.

“One of our original themes in our fire department is neighbors helping neighbors,” Lynn said. There’s a “down-home community feel” that Lynn wants to remain a part of the festival.

For safety purposes, Frank Cheatham serves as EMS/safety coordinator for the Tomato Festival.

Emergency Medical Services personnel are on the grounds, as well as a bike team.

“He,” Lynn said nodding toward Frank, “provides us support. We plan everything and anything that could happen and we make sure he’s ready for it. Plus, that gives them a chance to showcase their talents to the community and we also have the sheriff’s department out here – they always have a big presence.”

For more information about the 31st Annual Hanover Tomato Festival, visit http://www.co.hanover.va.us/parksrec/tomatofest/default.htm.