The 36th annual French Market Creole Tomato Festival will be held June 11–12 in the French Market District, The event will include two live music stages, food booths featuring Creole tomato dishes, and family activities.

The festival kicks-off Saturday at 11 a.m. with the Ripe and Ready Second Line, starting at Oscar Dunn Park (formerly Washington Artillery Park) 700 Decatur Street, and proceeding to the French Market, led by the Kinfolk Brass Band. The procession will also include Grand Marshall Charles Andrews, honorary Creole Tomato Festival Queen Princess Stephaney, the Yellow Pocahontas Black Masking Indians, Black Storyville Baby Dolls of New Orleans and the NOLA Chorus Girls. The festival will continue with music stages at both the French Market Flea Market and in Dutch Alley. The lineup includes Gina Brown, Banjo a la Créole Quartet, Alicia Renee aka Blue Eyes and New Orleans Jazz National Park’s Arrowhead Jazz Band, among others.

Five food vendors will offer a delicious assortment Creole tomato dishes, including George’s Produce/The Pontchartrain serving sliced Creole tomato with lump crab meat dressed in remoulade; LaDelyo’s Creole Catering preparing Creole tomato stuffed with shrimp pasta; and Voleo’s Seafood Restaurant selling fried green tomatoes.

The French Market District spans from the Shops at the Upper Pontalba on Jackson Square to Crescent Park, including the Shops of the Colonnade on Decatur Street and the open-air farmers and flea markets. The District is open daily and offers an eclectic variety of shops, eateries, and events year-round. For more information, visit here.