Home-Grown Fun

By LIZ BLEAU The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 10, 2007

RUSKIN - The first of the real summer soakers held off last weekend, resulting in clear skies for the annual Ruskin Tomato and Heritage Festival at E.G. Simmons Park.

Ruskin has long been known for its tomato fields, acre after acre of fertile land that produce the sweet, juicy fruit sent to grocers across the nation. Some of the community's earliest settlers began farming tomatoes in the early 1900s.

There were plenty on hand for the celebration Saturday and Sunday.

The festival glorifies Ruskin's ties to tomatoes in many ways. This year, the first 1,000 people to arrive received a free tomato plant. Free tomato slices were passed out to anyone who sought them out. Fried green tomatoes made famous on the silver screen were among the treats on the menu.

Among the most popular annual destinations in south Hillsborough County, the festival typically draws thousands of visitors each year. Event Chairman Don Glover said the crowd estimate was down a bit this year, to about 5,000 for both days. He thinks warm temperatures and high gasoline prices might have kept some people away.

The celebration united old traditions and new activities.

A revival of community festivals held during the 1930s, when it was known as the Florida Tomato Festival, the event featured some of those old-time themes: antique tractor and classic car shows and a heritage center displaying information on Ruskin's unique history and pioneer families. Entertainment included strains of old-time fiddle and bluegrass music.

At a new prefestival event Friday in downtown Ruskin, children and artists used chalk to draw things relevant to Ruskin's history - including piles of tomatoes and historical community landmarks - on the pavement along Second Street. They topped off the day's project with entertainment and a community fish fry.

The festival is organized by volunteers from the Ruskin Community Foundation. The civic group uses proceeds from the yearly event to help fund community projects, including Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center.

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at (813) 865-1557 or lbleau@tampatrib.com.