Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

As the pandemic continues, the festival's board made one major change to this year's edition, member Gilda Brower said. There will be no hands-on activities for children, such as the balloon sculptures, vegetable art and candle dipping of TomatoFests past. Performers like magician Nate the Great and MaxMan Reptile Rescue will return, but they will be outside the entrance to Genesee Center on Exchange Street. The performances will take place inside an enclosed area with socially distanced seating and masks, and seating for parents will be available on the perimeter. 

Brower said the decision to remove hands-on activities for children was made earlier this week. During an interview Wednesday with Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, she called it "incredibly sad," but necessary.

"They're all unvaccinated, and we're trying to keep the schools open," she said. "The two most important things right now are food and keeping the schools open." 

Another change to this year's TomatoFest is an addition. A trolley from Big D's Limousines in Sennett will be available for Historic Auburn Tomato Trolley Tours, which will cross historic sites like the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, Fort Hill Cemetery, the Seward House Museum and more. The 20-minute rides are free, Brower said, and will be available hourly.

In a last-minute change, the headlining concert by Joe Whiting and Mark Doyle has been moved from Auburn Public Theater to the roof of the downtown Auburn parking garage. Rather than an indoor concert, Brower said, the board felt an outdoor one would be safer. The city of Auburn has been hosting concerts on the roof of the garage monthly, beginning with Whiting in June. 

Otherwise, the menu of TomatoFest remains the same, as does its mission.

The day of food, music and fun supports the 10 nonprofit food pantries in Cayuga County that are affiliated with the Food Bank of Central New York. Since COVID-19 began in the U.S. in March 2020, the board has held a handful of drive-thru food collections, and received a total of $24,000 from the Cayuga Community Fund that it redistributed to those pantries, Brower said.

TomatoFest distributes funds and food to pantries based on need, and traditionally does so in December because that's when need is highest. It was also high after the pandemic began, Brower said, but has since just about returned to normal. Still, as long as the possibility of people in the Cayuga County area needing food persists, so will CNY TomatoFest.

"That's the thing that's always kept TomatoFest going for our 36th year," she said. "Things are never static. It never stops. There's always going to be someone who becomes ill and can't work, there's always a car that breaks down and someone has to go without their income. That's why we stay in place. It's not like we're ever going to reach an endpoint."

CNY TomatoFest 2021 schedule

Live music on the main stage (near Parker's Grille & Tap House on Genesee Street)

• 11 a.m.: Julie Howard

• Noon: Perform 4 Purpose

• 1:30 p.m.: Major Keys

• 3 p.m.: Glass Image

• 4 p.m.: Petty Thieves

• 6 p.m.: Weekend at Bernie's

Live music on the courtyard stage (near Next Chapter Brewpub on Exchange Street)

• 11 a.m.: Joe Henson and Taylor Price

• Noon: Sue Alexander and Bob Nodzo

• 1:30 p.m.: On Bass

• 3 p.m.: Lakeside Acoustic

• 4:30 p.m.: Bob Lyna and friends

Live music on the roof of the downtown Auburn parking garage

• 7 p.m.: Joe Whiting and Mark Doyle celebrate the release of their new record, "Down in the Dirt." With opener Luke Mock. Tickets $25; 100% of proceeds support Cayuga County food pantries.

Family entertainment (on Exchange Street near the entrance to Genesee Center)

• 1-2 p.m.: MaxMan Reptile Rescue

• 2-3 p.m.: Nate the Great

• 4-5 p.m.: MaxMan Reptile Rescue

Additional entertainment 

• 2-3 p.m. on Genesee Street: Witchy Women of the Finger Lakes

• 3-4 p.m. at the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center: Absolute Dance

• 3:30 p.m.: Tomato Parade

Food vendors (at the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center on South Street and along Genesee Street)

• B²¹°ù±ô´Ç·É'²õ

• Pete's Treats 

• A.T. Walley & Co. (fried green tomatoes)

• Prison City Pub & Brewery (bloody marys)

• Twisted Vegan

Other vendors and nonprofits

• Rhubarb Alpacas (woolen items)

• LulaRue (clothing)

• Dryden Pet and Home (silverware and jewelry)

• Scarlet Glass (glass items)

• Marney Fabrications (homemade purses, totes)

• Martin Ministries (wooden roses, Wise Dyes Christian T-shirts)

• Haines Apiary (honey)

• Moonflower Macarons (boutique pastries)

• Finger Lakes SPCA of CNY

• Finger Lakes Art Council

• Cayuga Counseling Services

• Sean M. Walsh K-9 Memorial Foundation

• Glove House of the Finger Lakes

For more information on CNY TomatoFest, visit .