At its core, Tomato Fest is about the relationships we make with others - after all, we need a team to churn the sauce, purify the jars, and provide mutual support and enjoyable conversations.

For that reason, we hold a space each Tomato Fest to recount, churn, and remember the relationships that have supported us but can no longer be present in our lives in the same way.

We love you guys

-The Sangiorgio family

Memorial 2023

Perry Perelman

Over just about 20 years, Perry Perelman the maltipoo was a steadfast friend and supporter to everyone who got to know him. He was a little guy who stayed gentle and attentive through big events. He crossed the rainbow bridge in late 2022, after a long life of fun, treats, frolicks, and companionship. Rest easy.

Anton Hok

Memorial 2021

It’s hard to capture the experience of Anton in static text. Everyone who knew him has living impressions of interactions with him. Anton lives in these details, rather than the details of his life, which have always been murky. There is no real clarity to details like when or where he was born, how old he was, what his career was in, or anything like that. And really, how important are these details? Instead, Anton can be found in sharp clarity in the crystalline structure of refracted stories: his recounting of his experiences with aliens, quantum resonance, and the encoded memory of water.

Each of these stories and memories are unique to each person who interacted with him: and range from very true to phenomenologically true. He carried puppets to defuse the tension between people and the cops at protests and interact with children (true), he pretended to be Spaghetti - an offshoot of Frankenstein who only listened to Celeste - at the Sangiorgio Halloween parties from 2001 to 2004 (true), he hissed whenever he heard Robert Moses’s name (true), his mother worked at a a restaurant with a floor covered with sawdust that only hired virgins (dubious), he communed with a giant spider woman (true).

Anton passed away in December 2020. We will have a space to remember him at Tomato Fest 2021.

Zia Anna Maria Albanese

Memorial 2019

Zia Anna at Tomato Fest in the mid 2000s

As many know, Zia Anna - or maybe you knew her as Anna or Anna Maria - passed away late in 2018. She has been at the heart and oven of tomato fest. Similarly, Zia Anna has been at the heart and oven of many friendships - providing warmth and keeping them stirring, stewing. Like a seasoning, Zia Anna often spiced relationships and interactions with her thoughts, but not her judgement. As Zia Anna often said - would a little more salt really hurt?

We had a moment of remembrance for Zia Anna at 2:30pm during Tomato Fest 2019. Many joined us in remembering her.

We also provided a special label for this year’s sauce in recognition of her contribution to this festival, which at its core is about the relationships we make with others - after all, we need a team to churn the sauce, purifying the jars, and provide mutual support and enjoyable conversations.