CARRBORO, NC - This Saturday, July 15, the Carrboro Farmers’ Market will be celebrating the bounty of local tomatoes with its biggest annual event of the year - Tomato Day! Starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market (located at Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W Main St in downtown Carrboro), the Market will be celebrating the summer tomato season with samples of different varieties of locally-grown tomatoes, a huge Carrboro-wide raffle, samples of tomato dishes and recipes, live music from local duo Sugaree String Society, and much more. This event is free and open to the public.
From old favorites like Sun Gold, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, and Big Beef, to lesser-known varieties like Black Krim, Chef’s Choice, Mountain Magic, Super Sweet 100, and Tomimaru Mucho - farmers at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market grow over 70 different types of tomatoes!
From 8:30 a.m. to noon on Tomato Day, shoppers can pick up tomato “flights'' to try different varieties of freshly-sliced tomatoes from CFM farmers. There will also be lots of summer recipes to inspire summer cooking with farmers market tomatoes and ingredients. Have questions about tomatoes? Ask a tomato farmer - Alex and Betsy Hitt of Peregrine Farm will be there to answer all your tomato questions.
As shoppers walk around the market, there will be samples of tomato recipes including dishes from acclaimed Chef Garret Fleming of Bombolo and from the Transplanting Traditions Community Farm Youth Program. Visitors can also find tomato specials from CFM vendors, as well as bites of tomato products and tomato pairings at vendor stalls around the market.
Brochures will be available with information on all the tomato varieties at the CFM as well as which farms grow them at both the Saturday and Wednesday markets.
Don’t miss the town-wide Tomato Day raffle: shoppers can enter for a chance to win over 25 prizes and gift certificates from local Carrboro businesses like Weaver Street Market, Pizzeria Mercato, Orange County Social Club, This & That, Tesoro, and more.
And don’t forget the tomato swag - there will be special, limited-edition Tomato Day t-shirts designed by The Splinter Group in Carrboro and printed on ultra-soft, responsibly-sourced cotton by TS Designs in Burlington.
CFM sponsor Southern Environmental Law Center will be giving out reusable kraft totes for anyone signing up to receive their e-newsletter. By signing up you will be sure to have the latest environmental news delivered right to your inbox.
Tomato Day is additionally supported by Laser Image Printing & Marketing, the Splinter Group, and Visit Carrboro.
Plan ahead for parking at Tomato Day! A map with free public parking in downtown Carrboro is available online through the Town of Carrboro. There are several places, such as along Fidelity Street, where on-street parking is available only during the farmers market. Market go-ers should make sure to check the on-street parking signs to make sure parking is allowed, and to NOT to park on S Laurel Ave or S Bim St. The CFM also has ample bicycle parking at the market, and is convenient to the CW, J, and F bus routes (all free through Chapel Hill Transit).
For more information visit The Carrboro Farmers' Market website.
