Contests

What would a festival be without contests?  Join the fun and enter one of our many contests honoring the Hanover Tomato.

Tiny Miss Hanover Tomato & Little Miss Hanover Tomato

The winners of the Tiny Miss Hanover Tomato and Little Miss Hanover Tomato contest will be announced on the main stage during the event.  This contest is open to Hanover residents ages 3 & 4 (Tiny Miss) and 5 to 7 (Little Miss).  Applications will be available in the Spring (application fee of $40 for each participant).

Hanover Tomato Recipe Contest

Don’t miss the annual Hanover Tomato Contest.  Local residents enter their favorite recipe using their own true Hanover Tomatoes in hopes of taking home the 1st place trophy and bragging rights for the year.  All recipes must include the Hanover tomato as an ingredient. 

Categories include:

  • Best Homemade Salsa - Mild to Medium
  • Best Homemade Salsa - Hot to Flaming Hot
  • Best Tasting Hanover Tomato - Large Variety (larger than 2” diameter)
  • Best Tasting Hanover Tomato - Small Variety (2” diameter or less)
  • Prettiest Tomato

Rule and Regulations:

  1. All contestants must use Hanover tomatoes. 
  2. The Best Tasting Hanover Tomato categories and the Ugliest and Prettiest Tomato categories are open to Hanover residents only.
  3. The actual tomato product entries, ready to taste, must be:

    delivered to:
    Pole Green Park Community Center
    8996 Pole Green Park Lane
    Mechanicsville, Va 23116
    Friday, July 9, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

    - OR -

    dropped off at:
    The Hanover Tomato Festival’s Tomato Judging Tent
    located in the Parks and Recreation Children’s Area
    Saturday, July 10 between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

  4. No entries will be accepted after 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 10. 
  5. All entries will remain outdoors through judging which will begin at 12 p.m.
  6. Awards will be given to the first and second place winners in each category.
  7. Winners will be announced at the Hanover Tomato Festival.

Best Dressed Tomato

Children 12 and under should come on over to the Children's Area, to enter this fun and creative contest. Great prizes will be announced to children who's decorated roma tomatoes are deemed "best dressed" within their age group. All supplies are provided, applications available on site. Following the judging of the Best Dressed Tomato entries at 3:30 p.m., children may take home their creation.