You Say Tomato, I Say Tomatina! The Food Fight of Buñol, Spain

Schedule

At 11am, trucks carrying the tomatoes arrive from outside the city, and park in the Plaza del Pueblo. Even if you don’t manage to get all the way into the center of town, don’t worry, because the street parties go for blocks around the main area, and are tons of fun even if you never get your hand on a tomato. If you want to stake out the best place, go as early as possible.

However, no one gets to throw a single tomato until someone has tried to climb to the top of the Palojabon: a greased up wooden pole with a giant ham sitting on top. In theory, the food fight doesn’t start until the ham has been retrieved, but in practice it takes a lot longer than people think, and often anarchy takes over and people just start throwing before anyone has had success on the pole.

People are allowed one hour of tomato throwing before a water cannon firing signals the end of the fight. After the fight is over, the fire brigade comes in and hoses down the streets. Many people dip themselves in the river to clean themselves off.

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The Keys to a Successful Tomato Fight

This seems obvious, but you should definitely not wear anything to La Tomatina that you care about. Most people recycle their clothes as soon as the fight is over. Some people wear goggles, but most experienced tomato fighters say that all you really need is a small bit of fabric or cloth that isn’t covered in tomato juice. Many people tuck in their shirts before the fight starts, and use the clean hem to wipe their eyes if they get hit in the face. Close-toed shoes are best, since there are thousands of people wading around in a very small area. Flip flops seem like a great option, but they often fall off or get torn away in the scuffle. As well, be sure to squish the tomato in your hands before throwing it, to help reduce the impact on your fellow fighter’s faces!

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