 What's Red & Blue, really good for you and tons of fun? Here's a hint -- you'll find these nutritionally sound food products at festivals in East Texas, the Texas Blueberry Festival and the Texas Tomato Fest.
While most Texas food festivals can raise your cholesterol count, attending these two events can actually improve your health.
Well okay - it's a no brainer. Blueberries and tomatoes are healthy and popular foods. So popular in fact that thousands gather each year to honor the fruit and little berries at these two great festivals. (And yes - tomatoes do belong to the fruit family).
Did you know - in this case - the two Texas favorites can reduce stress? Well, doctors tell us relaxation is key to reducing stress - right? And you can hardly be stressed when you are surrounded by beautiful verdant, rolling countryside and the thick and mysterious pinetree forests of East Texas.
The Texas Blueberry Festival takes place in Nacodogches Saturday June 10, and the Tomato Fest will be held in Jacksonville the same day. You could make it a food fest weekend and hit both festivals easily as the drive between them is just over an hour. And scenic driving is a great stress reducer as well, so you're already well on your way to improving your health. See how easy it is.
 Secondly, eating foods high in antioxidants can cause dramatic improvements in your health. According to leading homeopathic doctor we can "forget about Viagra" And forget red wine. Anyone wanting to feel young again need only to eat lots of blueberries.
In a recent study, old rats fed the equivalent of a cup of blueberries a day not only were more coordinated, but were smarter than other old rats. There you have it - your miracle youth formula, the fountain of youth, painted blue and carefully put into a berry by Mother nature!
You'll find plenty of the little healthy berries to indulge in at the Texas Blueberry Festival. They come in all forms: Pies, cakes, muffins, cookies, puddings, cobblers, with sugar, without sugar, raw, cooked, blanched, frozen, with and without cream.
On the other hand, tomatoes have a similar nutritional punch. They contain a powerful antioxidant that is almost exclusive to tomatoes - lycopene. What's even better about the tomato is when you add fat in the cooking process their nutritional value increases! No kidding!
So that heavenly tomato sauce made with olive oil is actually better for you than the raw tomato by itself. Go figure. But truth be told there is nothing as scrumptious as a fresh picked Texas tomato sliced up, salted down, and eaten right off the vine. You'll find plenty of those at the Texas Tomato Fest.
 While the Texas Blueberry Festival is the larger event of the two, the Tomato Fest is the oldest. Jacksonville was once known as the Tomato Capital of the World. Between 1930-40 more tomatoes were shipped from Jacksonville than anywhere else in the world.
Though their role as tomato king has diminished, Jacksonville continues to honor it's historic connection to the fruit. Jacksonville still can boast of a multimillion dollar bedding plant industry that includes all types of plants and vegetables. Apparently the soil around these parts is perfect and the climate is well suited for the bedding plants.
 The Tomato Festival will be a one day event, 10am-9pm, and will feature a host of fun events for all ages. They include a messy but fun to watch tomato eating contest, the ever popular Best Home Grown Tomato Event, Tomato Town, Couch Tomato 'No Sweat' Olympics, Music, Entertainment, Arts & Crafts and much more. The event is held downtown on Commerce and Austin Streets.
Now that you've got your Lycopene fix -- let's move down the road to the Texas Blueberry Festival set for 9am-4pm in downtown Nacodogches.
 While the community is best known for it's contribution to early Texas history and it's gorgeous springtime azalea trails, the blueberry is bringing more notoriety to this beautiful city in deep East Texas. With the consumption of blueberries on the rise (double in the last 5 years), it's no wonder this festival has grown in popularity and size.
The festival features over 100 vendors, a "42" tournament, classic car show, and activities for the kids including Elsie's Borden Express Train, a giant inflatable Bounce Park and a large mural where children can express their artistic talents. Entertainment is abundant and varied with live music on two stages as well as an exhibition by roping expert Burt Hairgrove.
 The most popular events however are centered on the star of the festival, the blueberry. Beginning bright and early you'll want to start your day off by attending the blueberry pancake breakfast. Next you'll hop a van and tour the blueberry farms of the region and pick your own blueberries to take home.Then you'll head back to the festival and indulge in the most unique and delicious blueberry treats you'll ever eat - like blueberry quesadillas, blueberry cheesecake, blueberry ice cream. And don't forget the pie! You won't want to miss the humorous true blue pet parade and the charming kids division blueberry pie eating contest either. Somehow there is nothing as cute as a child's smiling, purple face.
The event is sponsored by the Nacodogches County Chamber of Commerce and proceeds benefit various community and business development programs in the area.
This Summer get ready to drop out of the rat race, become the smarter rat and get your blueberry and tomato fix, all at the Texas Blueberry Festival and the Tomato Fest in East Texas.
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Rio Grande Valley
