An all-day, hands-on tomato sauce jarring event celebrating Italian heritage, family, friendship, and community on Sunday August 16th.
Rockaway's annual "Sagra del Pomodoro" presented by Edgemere Farm Works, Chef Pasquale Martinelli, and brothers. For generations, Italian families have gathered every summer to prepare homemade tomato sauce for the year ahead. These special days were never just about preserving tomatoes—they were about preserving traditions. Families, friends, and neighbors worked side by side, sharing stories, laughter, meals, and knowledge passed down from one generation to the next.
On Sunday, August 16, from 9am-3pm at Edgemere Farm, we will honor this tradition and our community in an all-day, hands-on event led by Chef Pasquale Martinelli, founder of Alloro New York Private Dining, where we process this season’s tomatoes into delicious & nutritious sauce, and jar it for the coming year.
Participants may sign up for two shifts, 9am-12pm (noon) and 12pm (noon)-3pm. Tasks will include washing and cutting tomatoes, processing cooked tomatoes through a tomato crusher or food mill, filling, sealing, canning, and wiping jars. Each participant will receive one 16oz jar of tomato sauce as a “thank you”.
Important: This is an all-ages event. However, due to the handling of very hot liquids, children must be supervised by adults at all times. Please wear closed-toe shoes.
Made possible with the support of NYC Parks, GreenThumb, Partnerships for Parks, NYC Green Fund, City Parks Foundation, Flushing Town Hall, and New York Foundation for the Arts.
Illustration by Valentina Gallup.