La Tomatina
It’s really messy, Road Trips Foodies, but this fest is said to be a lot of fun.
La Tomatina, which takes place on the last Wednesday in August each year, has been a tomato-throwing event since its “accidental” start in 1945. This year’s edition is August 27, 2014.
More of a food fight than a foodie fest, it fills the Plaza del Pueblo in the small town of Buñol not far from the Spanish city of Valencia.
Participants, wearing goggles and, ummmm, washable clothes pelt each other with some 40 metric tons of ripe tomatoes (they’re crushed before tossing to minimize injury).
According to Wikipedia, the “fight” begins about 11 a.m. with the firing of a gunshot. After exactly one hour the fight ends with the firing of the second shot. By this time, the town square is colored red and rivers of tomato juice flow freely. Fire Trucks hose down the streets and participants use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomato paste from their bodies. After the cleaning, the village cobblestone streets are said to be pristine due to the acidity of the tomato disinfecting and thoroughly cleaning the surfaces.
The day finishes with fireworks, festivities, and a paella cook-off.
(Photo courtesy of La Tomatina)
