After the tomato fight ends, the streets are hosed down, and participants often head to local bars and restaurants to continue the festivities.
Pack your goggles, we’re having a food fight! La Tomatina is an annual festival that takes place in the town of Buñol, near Valencia, Spain. The festival is held on the last Wednesday of August and involves thousands of people throwing tomatoes at each other in a friendly food fight. The origins of the festival are not entirely clear, but it is believed to have started in the mid-1940s when a group of young people began throwing tomatoes at each other during a parade. Over the years, the festival grew in popularity and became an official event in the 1950s. Today, La Tomatina attracts thousands of tourists from around the world who come to participate in the tomato fight. The event begins early in the morning when trucks filled with overripe tomatoes arrive in the town’s main square. Participants gather in the square, and at precisely 11 am, a signal is given, and the tomato fight begins. For the next hour, participants throw tomatoes at each other, creating a giant mess of red pulp and seeds. After the tomato fight ends, the streets are hosed down, and participants often head to local bars and restaurants to continue the festivities.