The Other Side column August 14, 2009


Festival improved by VIPs

| | August 14, 2009 16:27

This weekend Fairfield hosts the 18th Annual Tomato Festival and Sixth Annual West Coast Barbeque Championship. Forget the garlic, onion and asparagus festivals other cities put on, with the addition of the barbecue championship, Fairfield has the best smelling festival hands down.

It's big. It's tasty. It's entertaining. And there's something for the whole family.

Fifty thousand people attended this awesome event last year. There will be three stages featuring live music and entertainment. There will be fun activities for kids including a block of inflatable slides and bouncy thingamajigs. More than 200 kinds of heirloom tomatoes will be on hand to sample and buy in Tomato Alley. There will be arts and craft vendors. And of course, there will be all manner of food and drink to satisfy the rumbly in the tumbly of thousands of festivalgoers.

Scores of barbecue teams will square off in the largest barbecue competition on the West Coast. This is also the first time anywhere that three KCBS (Kansas City Barbecue Society) Grand Champions will be crowned in two days.

Just imagine downtown Fairfield bathed in the smoky aroma of barbecued beef, pork and chicken, a cloud of mouthwatering happiness. (Vegetarians, don't fret, there will be a plethora of fresh veggies and fruits to make you feel right at home.). And while you can't eat the competition food, there will be plenty of barbecue for sale by other vendors.

Plus, there are two big added attractions this year.

Me and my brother Tony.

On Sunday, we're going to be VIP judges of the tomato-eating contests. I'll be honest, I've never been one to just pick up a tomato and eat it like an apple. But I'm well qualified to judge this contest because of my extensive relationship with tomatoes. Many have ridden into my gaping maw tightly sandwiched in a cheeseburger or nestled against bacon and lettuce, sat chopped on a slice of pizza or were consumed in an olive oil drenched Caprese salad along with mozzarella and fresh basil.

In this past Monday's Last Laugh column, Tony laid out just some of what we will expect as VIPs. He left out a few things.

I thought perhaps we could be carried on stage like royalty on sedans but of course, there's the logistical problem of finding people strong enough to carry us.

I'm assuming it's a bit too pretentious to rename the event the Wade Brothers Tomato Festival and West Coast Barbecue Championship. Maybe next year.

We would at least like all of the red and yellow M&Ms removed from our M&Ms backstage because they remind us of the San Francisco 49ers.

Lastly, I know it's the Tomato Festival but absolutely no rotten tomatoes are to be hurled in our direction at any time.

The fun goes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

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