Tomatomania! heads to the Santa Ynez Valley this spring with an expanded two-day celebration of tomatoes, flowers, and seasonal inspiration. A perfect day trip from Santa Barbara, this year’s show unfolds at The Bakery Farmstand in Los Olivos, offering a larger space, a wider selection of tomato seedlings, and special tomato-forward bites from Chef Tracy Fleming. Guests can browse hundreds of seedlings—from hard-to-find eggplants to peppers arranged by heat level—alongside vibrant cut-flower varieties grown by The Starter Farm, encouraging home gardeners to blend blooms and produce into one abundant garden. This year spotlights two standout tomatoes: Sart Roloise, named Tomatomania’s tomato of the year, and Bronze Torch, The Starter Farm’s “Farmer’s Choice” pick. Throughout the weekend, visitors can also drop into gardening classes covering tomato and pepper basics, cut-flower tips, and how to solve common garden challenges before they start.
Class Schedule
- Saturday, April 11 at 11:30 a.m. – Tomato & Pepper 101
- Saturday, April 11 at 1:30 p.m. – Growing Homemade Bouquets
- Sunday, April 12 at 11:30 a.m. – What Am I Doing Wrong?