Added: 12/21/2005 |
The Tomato Festival Salutes Organic Food With a Fun HolidayBunol has been famous for its tomato fight tradition since 1944. Since then, the Tomato Festival has been held annually towards the end of August, featuring a tomato fight, which occurs between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. There are several interpretations as far as the origin of this festival is concerned. Historians point to a joke, which was played on a man crossing the town square, playing a musical instrument and singing. Because he was playing so poorly, some people started throwing tomatoes at him. The most reliable version points to the year 1945, when the town square was overcrowded with young people, watching a Gigantes y Cabezudos parade. Some of the participants of the band, leading the parade, became involved in a tomato fight.
The next year on the same day of August, thousands of young people gathered on the town square and started another battle, which was stopped by the police. Despite the fact that the Tomato Festival was strictly forbidden by the authorities, the celebrations of this event have occurred every year ever since. In order for the Tomato Festival to occur without any incidents, some rules must be observed. The participants aren't allowed to bring bottles or any other objects of this kind, which may provoke an accident. Before throwing tomatoes, participants are required to crush them in order not to hurt anyone. A pistol shot marks the beginning of the Tomato Festival fight and a pistol shoot similarly ends the event. This must be strictly obeyed.
Following the aim of attracting more tourists into the small town of Bunol, the Tomato Festival has grown to the prominent fiesta, which coincides with the celebrations held to commemorate the patron saint of the town. During the week before the festival, the 20,000 citizens of the town of Bunol partake in street parties, parades and fireworks. The night before the Tomato Festival, the streets of Bunol are filled with tomatoes. On Wednesday morning business owners start covering doors and windows, preparing for the messy attack. A number of large trucks bring in tomatoes from four parts of Spain. Soon the town turns into the largest vegetable fight in the world with more than 90,000 pounds of tomatoes used by the participants of this annual event. Tourists visiting the festival should keep in mind that a baseball cap or camera is a perfect target. The battle continues less than half an hour, after which the participants go to the river and remove the mess from their bodies.
Half a world away, another popular food related festival is the Organic Food Festival, held annually in September. The 2005 Organic Food Festival was visited by more than 150,000 spectators, who came to the Bristol Harborside to witness the best and largest event. This year the festival added new elements of food, with the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra's concert, and the street theatre company Desperate Men, performing their Dancing Bear Organic Cheese Review. Due to its spectacle, color and music, the show is now regarded as one of the most celebrated organic event in Europe and the fastest growing festival nationwide.
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