The 30th annual Creole Tomato Fest is coming to the French Market this weekend! The free festival runs from 10a-7p Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 and spans the four blocks of the French Market District, from Dutch Alley to Crescent Park.

There will be four live music stages, with the festival’s main music stage at Crescent Park, where there will also be food trucks, and an arts and crafts bazaar. In honor of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary year, the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park will host a Centennial Stage at the Old U.S. Mint, featuring park ranger musicians in concert, including the NPS Centennial Band, which has been touring the country this year as ambassadors of New Orleans music.

The festival’s recent tradition (since 2014) of The Ripe & Ready Rally will be held this year at the Old U.S. Mint on the Centennial Stage, led by Doc Griggs and Dancing Man with Free Agents Brass Band. Robin Barnes of “Move your Brass” will teach a special 25 minute “Bounce Your Brass” onstage prior to the rally. After the brief rally, the band will lead a secondline through fest grounds:  through the Flea and Farmers Markets, to Dutch Alley, to end at Washington Artillery Park to end with the 'First Bite of the Season,' when 100 tomatoes are offered to the general public to enjoy as a fest opener. Several costumed characters and performers including the Black Storyville Baby Dolls will assist with distributing the tomatoes at Washington Artillery Park.

WWOZ will be there, too! The 3rd annual Best of the Fest Food Booth Awards will be given out Saturday at 1:30p by a panel of judges to include Peggy and Errol Laborde, WWOZ special guests, and others. Festival food booth awards are given for the following categories: Tastiest, Healthiest, Most Traditional, and Most Creative.

Saturday, June 11

Dutch Alley Performance Stage

10-11:30a Revival
11:45a-1:15p Kelcy Mae
1:30-3p Big Daddy O
3:30-5p All Around Brass Band

Centennial Stage (Old U.S. Mint, facing Barracks)

9:30-10:30a Jazz Yoga (yoga class)
10:35-11a Bounce Your Brass w/Robin Barnes (dance class)
11-11:15a Ripe & Ready Rally w/Doc Griggs, Dancing Man 504, Free Agents Brass Band
11:30a-12p Ranger Nathan Centennial Songs
12-1p Music for All Ages with the Red Hot Brass Band
1:30-2:30p Creole Tomato Cabaret w/The Chorus Girls Project
2:30-2:45p Lightning Round NPS Trivia Game with prizes
3-3:45p Rocky Mountain Children's Choir
4-4:45p Bon Bon Vivant
5-6p NPS Centennial Band

Old US Mint (facing Esplanade)

10:30-11:15a Johnette Downing
12:30-2p Confetti Park Players
2:30-3:15p Swing Setters
3:30-4:15p Uptown Music Theatre: In the African Village
4:30-5:15p The Accordion Parade led by Julie Council

Crescent Park Stage

9-10:30a Mem Shannon & the Membership Band at the Ripe & Ready 5K
11a-12:30p Gina Brown
1-2:30p Cha Wa
3-4:30p Paul Sanchez
5-6:30p Raw Oyster Cult

Sunday, June 12

Dutch Alley Performance

10-11:30a Smoky Greenwell
11:45a-1:15p Lynn Drury
1:30-3p Shotgun Jazz Band
3:30-5p Royal Rounders

Centennial Stage (Old US Mint, facing Barracks)

10-10:45a Ranger Nathan Hall's Guitar Hour
11a-12p Liquid Rhythm, Inc.
12:15-1:15p Richard Scott Trio
1:30-2:30p New Orleans Gospel Soul Children
2:45-3:45p Marine Band New Orleans Jazz Combo
4-4:50p Daria & the Hip Drops
5-6p NPS Centennial Band

Old US Mint (facing Esplanade)

10a Carl Mack the Xylophone Man
11:30a-12:15p Swamp Romp w/Johnette Downing and Scott Billington
1p Miss Claudia's Delicious Jazz Band
2-2:45p Joseph the Magician
3-3:45p Crescent City Lights Youth Theater
4-5p Patrice Fisher and Arpa featuring performances by the International School of Circus Arts

Crescent Park Stage

10a-10:45a Bounce Your Brass w/Robin Barnes (dance class)
11a-12:30p Original Pinettes Brass Band
1-2:30p Little Freddie King
3-4:30p Flaming Arrows
5-6:30p Darcy Malone & the Tangle

https://www.frenchmarket.org/30th-annual-creole-tomato-festival/