WARREN, Ark. – One of the Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival’s most cherished traditions returned Friday as community members gathered at First Methodist Church in Warren for the 69th Annual All Tomato Luncheon.
Hosted by the Bradley County Extension Homemakers, the luncheon featured an all-tomato themed menu while celebrating the agricultural heritage that has been at the heart of the Pink Tomato Festival for generations.
Guests enjoyed a unique meal that included Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomato, Tomarinated Carrots, Tomato Bean Almondine, Tomato Basil Crackers, Heavenly Tomato Cake, and iced tea. The famous Heavenly Tomato Cake remains one of the luncheon’s signature dishes and traces its origins to the event’s early history.
According to the Bradley County Extension Office, the first All Tomato Luncheon was held 69 years ago as part of the second Pink Tomato Festival. The luncheon was established by the late Ms. Jean Frisby, a longtime home economics agent with the Bradley County Extension Service. Today, members of the Bradley County Extension Homemakers continue that tradition, preparing the meal and preserving a piece of Bradley County history.
The luncheon also served as an opportunity to recognize the 2026 Bradley County Farm Family of the Year, the Travis and Katie Ferguson family, owners of Honey Hill Farms. Their selection highlights the important role local farm families continue to play in supporting agriculture and preserving the county’s rural heritage.
Extension officials expressed appreciation to the many volunteers who helped organize and prepare the meal, including members of the Bradley County Extension Homemakers and Bradley County 4-H.
As attendees gathered around tables decorated in Pink Tomato Festival fashion, the luncheon once again demonstrated why it remains one of the festival’s most enduring events. Nearly seven decades after its founding, the All Tomato Luncheon continues to bring together friends, neighbors, and visitors to celebrate the crop that inspired Arkansas’ longest continuously running festival.
With another successful luncheon now in the books, organizers say the tradition remains as strong as ever, connecting today’s generation with a rich agricultural legacy that stretches back nearly 70 years.
