BATON ROUGE, La. – Food, music and hayride tours will be featured at the annual Garden Fest at LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden on June 21.

Beginning at 7:30 a.m. visitors will have an opportunity to take a hayride to the research area to taste tomatoes, watermelons, peppers and fruit crops and learn about the latest research conducted by the LSU AgCenter, according to Jeff Kuehny, resident director at Burden.

Food companies in the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator also will offer samples of their new foods and beverages at the event.

Visitors are invited to bring the best tomatoes from their gardens to enter in the outstanding tomato contest.

LSU AgCenter experts will conduct a plant health clinic to diagnose problems with plant specimens visitors bring to them.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Louisiana Egg Commission will prepare and serve omelets from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Visitors can sample bloody marys from Mason’s Grill from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Louisiana Culinary Institute and the East Baton Rouge Parish Extension Office will offer samples of dishes prepared from vegetables produced at Burden from 10 to 11 a.m. The tastings will include recipes and nutritional information for each selection.

Baton Rouge Music Studios and Visit Baton Rouge will present the Singers Songwriter Showcase from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The performance is open to musicians of all ages who can accompany themselves on guitar, keyboard or any other instrument. Pianos will be provided by Baton Rouge Music Studio. Songs do not have to be original, but original songs are encouraged.

In addition, the LSU AgCenter Dairy Store will have ice cream available for purchase.

The Garden Fest Cocktail Contest will be held from 11 a.m. until noon, when visitors can sample concoctions made from Louisiana spirits.

Admission to the event is $10 for adults, $5 for 4 to 21-year-olds. Children under 3 will be admitted at no charge. Burden is located on Essen Lane off I-10 in Baton Rouge.

More information is available online at www.LSU AgCenter.com/Burden or call Kuehny at 225-763-3990.