OWASCO - Despite a bit of rain and overcast skies, the 23rd annual TomatoFest was in full swing Saturday afternoon. Though this year, the two-day festival actually got started a little early.

“We started things off with a dance on Friday night,” Janice Sanders, co-president and treasurer of the festival, said. “That went really well, and we are thinking about making that an annual part of the festival.”

Sanders explained that the yearly festivities began as the brainchild of Jack Palmer and Melina Carnicelli, as a means to create a truly community oriented celebration.

From that original seed of an idea, a true end of summer tradition was born, and along the way the festival has grown and expanded.

“It was originally a one day event,” Sanders said. “But then we expanded it and made it two days, it has been the way for 15 plus years now.”

While to some extent the name of the festival says it all, and there are tomatoes in all varieties, from fresh of the vine to fried green tomatoes, it is about much more than the luscious fruit.

Spread across Emerson Park were attractions of all kinds.

For children, a full array of amusement park rides were up and running, as well as other attractions like face painting.

Sanders said this year there was a real focus on increasing the number of vendors and crafts people involved in the festivities. This focus drew together both long-standing vendors and new ones from around the surrounding area.

Kim Wooden, of Trumansburg, owner of Krafts By Kim, was making her TomatoFest debut this year, with an assortment of hand-crafted blankets and other sew and knitted items.

“A friend told me about it,” Wooden said. “This is my full-time job, so I'm always looking for new shows to go to. It is a little slow today, probably because of the weather, but all in all it has been pretty good and I think it is a wonderful event they have put together.”

Raye Janssen, of My Garden, was on hand with fresh strawberries.

“I had so much fun last year,” Janssen said. “I had to come back again this year. I really enjoy myself here and I enjoy all the people and they work so hard to put all of this together, I think it is a really great thing to be able to have something and I am really having fun again this year.”

Also throughout the day Saturday were numerous musical acts such as Problem Child and Teenager.

And while the weather might not have been the most inviting, the festival still drew a strong crowd.

“I haven't been here in a few years,” Jane Lynn of Fleming, said. “I just wanted to come back and see how it has progressed. I think they have done a really good job this year.”

And with so much diversity from crafts to food to music, those in attendance were pleased with the array of attractions they could choose from.

“I pretty much come here every year,” Mary-Jane Sander, of Fleming, said. “I really like the crafts and the food, but especially the crafts; I really enjoy all of those.”

TomatoFest is an event with a mission to entertain, but it also has one much larger goal.

Janice Sanders said that proceeds raised from the festival and canned food items helps feed the hungry in Cayuga County.

“This goes toward the food pantry,” Sanders said. “Unfortunately that need is not getting any smaller and it is only growing. Since we started this we have been able to raise in excess of $250,000 as well as many canned good to go to the food pantry. We do have a commitment to fun and we also have a commitment to help feed the hungry. People come here and they have fun but they also help support that cause in this community.”

If you go

What: TomatoFest

When: Starts at 11 a.m. today

Where: Emerson Park, Route 38A, Owasco.

Donation $3, children under 12 free with canned food donation. Visit www.tomatofest.org.