This weekend is Tomato Art Fest Weekend in East Nashville, one of our very favorite annual events (despite one Nashvillest editor’s brutal loss in the 2008 Hot Tomato contest). For a single day, everything in East Nashville turns to tomatoes. Walk into the Pied Piper Creamery, and you’ll find them dishing up tomato ice cream. Saunter over to the Art & Invention Gallery, and you’ll find tomato artwork crammed in every nook and cranny. Cross the street to a gravel parking lot, and you just might see real live Nashvillians parading around in tomato costumes.

The Tomato Art Fest takes place in East Nashville’s Five Points tomorrow, August 8 from 10am-whenever (some events start earlier in the morning). Music, contests, costumes, artwork, food and tomatoes galore will fill the day. In particular, we’re looking forward to Nuvo Burrito’s Wet Burrito Contest, hearing the winners of the Hot Tomato Haiku Contest read aloud, the eclectic Second Line Parade, 3 Crow’s Bloody Mary Competition, and lots of music from talented local musicians. And food. Did we mention food?

The big tomato party does not come without a price, however. Just remember that as you’re navigating around these street closures:

• 5:30AM-8PM: 11th Street between Woodland Street and Holly Street
• 5:30AM-8PM: Woodland Street between 11th Street and 12th Street
• 5:30AM-10AM: Anticipate closures and delays at 6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 16th, Woodland, Russell, Fatherland and Grantland Streets in the Five Points area of East Nashville for the Tomato 5K and 2nd Line Parade

What a bundle of fun! Good thing there’s a Tomato Shuttle to cart us around to the tomato-y goodness. The shuttle runs every 10 minutes with a 4 person minimum from First Church of the Nazarene (510 Woodland Street) and Lot B (large lot across from the church), and returns to 10th and Fatherland Street.

Photo by brookage.