La Tomatina
La Tomatina festival is notorious for being both extremely enjoyable and filthy. This event takes place in the small village of Buol, which is roughly 40 kilometers west of Valencia, Spain's most beautiful city. It is estimated that up to 10,000 people attend each year! The festival is widely known and undoubtedly one of the most famous festivals in Spain.
The festival begins in the early hours of the morning, around 9 a.m. People scramble to get to a giant slab of ham hoisted up on a tall pole in the town square. Because the pole is constantly highly lubricated, it's quite rare for somebody to really reach the ham. After 2 hours of unsuccessful attempts to approach the ham, trucks started to dump tons of ripe tomatoes to the public about 11 a.m. At this point, a cannon fires to signify the commencement of the chaos and mayhem. For an hour, everyone will toss tomatoes at each other, resulting in a purée that will cover the entire area. At 12 p.m., a second cannon blasts, signaling the conclusion of the festivities, and the revelers joyously return home to clean up.
La Tomatina isn't for the faint of heart – or vegans, for that matter – but it'll be a one-of-a-kind celebration to remember.
When: 26th August
Where: Buñol, Valencia Province
