Published: July 01, 2009
Melody Kinser
A recent interview with the people at the heart of the Hanover Tomato Festival was an instant reminder of what is good about the place we call home.
More than 30 years ago, the Black Creek Volunteer Fire Department decided to make its presence known to the community and raise funds for the station by sponsoring the festival.
That theme holds true today, because community is what matters most to the folks at the Black Creek VFD.
In 1978, the year of the first Tomato Festival, 300 people came out to join in the festivities. Lynn Watson recalled there was only one food vendor that year.
The largest turnout to date was in 2007 when 42,000 people filled the grounds at Pole Green Park, which has been the scene of the festival since 1999.
What impressed me most while talking with Lynn, her father Oscar and Donnie West was the sincerity of their purpose: It’s still all about the community. Their modesty was genuine and their motivation absolute.
The festival has grown by leaps and bounds through the years, prompting two moves from the original location at the fire station. The grounds of Battlefield Elemetary School proved satisfactory for a time, but the crowds just kept on coming.
Now in its 10th year at Pole Green Park, the festival is bursting at the proverbial seams. With a record 42,000 in 2007 and 40,000 last year, will a larger venue become necessary in the near future? Only time will tell, but there is one certainty: You can expect a good time and plenty of tomatoes on July 11.
Oh, and this year’s festival offers a record number of vendors. But that’s not all. A center tent will spotlight the star of the day — the Hanover tomato — and feature more children’s activities.
I’m looking forward to my first festival and hope to see you there. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
