La Tomatina Festival

by MarbellaFamilyFun.com
(Marbella )

"La Tomatina" is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes. Nobody really knows the true significance of this event but it started in 1945 and has been held on the last Wednesday of August, during the week of festivities of Buñol ever since.

Usually, the fight lasts for an hour, after which the whole town square has been covered with tomato paste. Fire trucks then hose down the streets and participants often use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomato paste from their bodies. Some participants go to the pool of “los peñones” to wash. Afterwards, the village cobblestone streets are completely clean due to the acidity of the tomato disinfecting and thoroughly cleaning the surfaces.

Since 2013, the capacity of La Tomatina is regulated by selling tickets for the event, a measure that "guarantees the sustainability of the party, better security and more fun for the attenders”. In 2015, it is estimated that almost 145000 kg of tomatoes were thrown. As with previous years, participants of many nationalities are expected and there is a list of rules like tomatoes being previously squashes to avoid injuries and no other projectiles are allowed except tomatoes.

Contact

latomatina.info