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The famed Grainger County Tomato Festival will return to Rutledge starting Thursday July 21 and running through Saturday.

The event kicks off Thursday with a Street Dance and Cruise In from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at SunFresh Produce and Service Center. That will be followed on Friday evening with the 16th annual Grainger County Opry held at the middle school.

Then Saturday things get into full swing with the Main Stage Performances as well as the Tomato Wars, essentially a massive dodgeball tournament played with overripe tomatoes.

The festival is also known for its large market featuring crafters, produce sellers and more.

“The Grainger County Tomato Festival was organized in 1992 to promote our world famous Grainger County Tomatoes,” coordinators say on the festival website.”Our mission is to promote all Grainger County agricultural products, specifically the Grainger County Tomato, and to promote the many local artists, authors, talent, and craftsmen we have in our area.

“Over the years we have added a number of special events making the festival one of the largest free festivals in East Tennessee and has been named by Parade magazine as one of the top ten free festivals in the USA. The festival is always the last full weekend in July in Rutledge, Tennessee. Be sure to mark your calendars! You don’t want to miss it. It’s always a three day festival, and we have numerous vendors with food, crafts, art, authors, and commercial exhibits.”

2023 OPRY PERFORMERS

Friday, July 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Rutledge Middle School gym

AMBRIA COLLINS

CENTRAL POINT BOYS

CLIFF & DEB JESTIICE

GOSPEL STRINGS

ALEXIS PATTERSON

JAYDEN TROTT

TOMMY WHITE

“MINNIE PEARL”

BLAST FROM THE PAST

(Guest from our first Opry Show)

BRIAN HAPNER

MAIN STAGE

PERFORMERS

SATURDAY, JULY 22ND

9 a.m. CLIFF & DEB JESTICE

10 a.m. JANE CHAMBERS

11 a.m. MASON DIXON BOYS

12 p.m. ALTOSHAM (Matt & Brenda Chambers)

1 p.m BILL LANDRY & SAM VENABLE

2 p.m. FRIENDLY VIEW TRIO

3 p.m. JANE CHAMBERS

4 p.m. BRAND NEW BOX OF MATCHES

5 p.m. LAWLESS BAND

*Each group has a 45-minute time slot to allow 15 minutes for sound tech to prepare and next group to set up.

*Sizzling Summer Concert of Talent will follow on main stage beginning at 6 p.m.