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All hail the Hanover tomato.

That red delicious vegetable -- or is it a fruit? -- is a summertime favorite, used on sandwiches, tossed in salads, mixed with pasta or elegantly placed on the side of a main dish. Some prefer to bite into the juicy sensations whole, like an apple.

Whatever your fancy, there's no denying that tomatoes mean lip-smacking goodness. And what better way to celebrate their scrumptious qualities than with the Hanover Tomato Festival?

Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of the event, set for Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville. Co-sponsored by the Hanover County Parks and Recreation Department, the festival is expected to draw more than 40,000.

"People are proud of their Hanover tomatoes," said Lynn Watson, a member of the festival's board of directors. "They all want to celebrate it. There is no doubt Hanover grows the best-tasting tomatoes. There is something about the soil."

Local growers want visitors to know that their produce was not linked to a salmonella outbreak that recently sickened hundreds in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration deemed Virginia tomatoes safe to eat weeks ago.

"Our tomatoes are perfectly safe and absolutely fabulous," said Jane Dodd. She and her husband, Robert, cultivate 300 acres of vegetables in eastern Hanover. "These tomatoes get a lot of TLC."

The Dodds have been supplying the festival with tomatoes for years. This time around, they will provide 135 bushels. Each weighs 50 pounds, Jane Dodd said.

"Sometimes they call and say they are running short and they come and get more," she said.

The festival started in 1978 as a fundraiser for the Black Creek Fire Department and was held at the station. The first event drew about 300 people, had one food booth and 10 craft tables.

It soon outgrew its tiny space and moved to Pole Green Park. Last year, nearly 40,000 people attended and $11,000 was raised. Tomorrow's outing will feature 13 food vendors, more than 200 crafters, music, games and contests.

The Tiny Miss and Little Miss pageants will spotlight 3to 7-year-olds. The day also will include a petting zoo, mechanical rides, pony rides, the Hanover tomato recipe contest, the best-dressed tomato and a coloring contest.

"It has grown from humble beginnings to a mass of humanity," said Greg Sager, director of Hanover Parks and Recreation. "I think as Hanover has grown in population, the tomato festival is a reminder of the county's agricultural beginnings.

"It's all about the tomato -- the best tomato in the world," Sager said. "Everybody has to have their own niche. For us, it's our tomatoes. The taste is second to none."