ELLINGER—Mark your calendar for the 87th Annual Ellinger Chamber of Commerce Tomato Festival, which will be held from Friday, May 24, to Sunday, May 26.
For all you great cooks out there, the festival kicks off Friday night with Chef’s Choice Competitions. Categories include Entrée, Dessert, Chips & Salsa, and Margaritas.
Enjoy live music from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. by Broken G Karaoke.
For early risers, the fun continues Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with the 3rd Annual Tomato Trot Fun Run/Walk. Gather some friends and join in a 5K run/ walk. Saturday afternoon, a new exciting event has been added this year called the Tomato Toss.
Find a partner and get ready to give your best toss and catch of a real tomato. Winning teams will be awarded $500, so start practicing now. Cooking continues with Farmer’s Breakfast and Bloody Mary competitions. Barbecue teams from near and far will compete all day in Brisket, Chicken, Pork Spare Rib, Pork Butt, and Pinto Bean Cook-offs.
The fan-favorite Chopped Challenge with Secret Ingredients and local celebrity judges returns for its fourth year, with round one occurring on Friday night and the final showdown on Saturday. Do you have what it takes to create a delicious meal with secret ingredients, while the clock counts down? Sign up soon for this exciting event.
If cooking is not your thing, come to cheer on your favorite team in the Live Final Showdown under the ECC pavilion, where the Ellinger Pantry will be fully stocked just like on TV!
Following the awards ceremony, stick around for the live auction. Purchase an item in the live auction and be entered for a chance to win a $500 Buyer's Bonus. Following the auction there will be live music by The Bandits. Iced cold beverages will be available on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday wraps up the Tomato Festival with ECC President Michael Schlabach saying, “Come hungry for our famous Chamber Fried Chicken and Sausage Drive Thru Dinner.” Serving begins at 10:30 a.m. Plates are $15. Raffle tickets with 50 great prizes are available for $20 or three for $50.
A limited number of tickets are available.
Visit www.ellingertexas.com for details on all the fun and to register for any of the food competitions.
Join the event Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26 in Ellinger, Where History and Hospitality Meet.
