{"id":22715,"date":"2023-06-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/?post_type=inspiracion&p=22715"},"modified":"2023-06-09T11:41:14","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T09:41:14","slug":"discovering-tomatina-festival","status":"publish","type":"inspiracion","link":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/valencia\/discovering-tomatina-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovering the Tomatina festival"},"content":{"rendered":"
In Spain we\u2019re experts in local festivals of all different kinds. And within the province of Valencia<\/a> itself, we don\u2019t fall short (a good example being The Fallas<\/a>). But there are other festivals in the area that are worth discovering. In this article, I\u2019ll be telling you about La Tomatina, an amazing festival of fun, where tomatoes take centre stage.<\/h5>\n

La Tomatina: what is it?<\/h2>\n

La Tomatina is the name of the most popular and international festival in Bu\u00f1ol. Basically, it\u2019s a \u201cbattle\u201d in which people throw over-ripe tomatoes <\/strong>(unsuitable for human consumption) at one another. All in the spirit of fun and entertainment.<\/p>\n

This takes place in a few closed-off streets. When it\u2019s over, this part of town and everyone in it is dyed tomato red.<\/p>\n

\"festival
\u00a9 Jes\u00fas Estelles and Joaqu\u00edn Matamales<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The origin of La Tomatina<\/h3>\n

The festival of La Tomatina is now quite a few years old, and you have to go back to 1945 to find out how it started. You may think that this event began as a way of getting rid of poor quality tomatoes, or because of a large crop resulting in a glut\u2026 but no; La Tomatina originated from a quarrel between neighbours.<\/p>\n

It was the last Wednesday in August 1945 when Bu\u00f1ol was holding a parade. As it reached the Plaza del Pueblo, a group of youths tried to join in but, in doing so, accidentally knocked over one of the participants. The latter got very angry and started to strike out, making everyone else angry too and they all retaliated.<\/p>\n

As chance would have it, the commotion occurred next to a vegetable stall<\/strong>, where tomatoes were on sale. People began grabbing the tomatoes and throwing them at one another, resulting in the police intervening to stop the brawl.<\/p>\n

The following year, these youths who\u2019d been involved in the fight thought that it would be fun to do it again, so they set up another \u201ctomato battle\u201d, although this time they brought their own from home.<\/p>\n

\"batalla
\u00a9 Jes\u00fas Estelles and Joaqu\u00edn Matamales<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But this did not please the authorities, so in the 50s, realising that this event was being repeated year after year, with increasingly large numbers getting involved, they banned it from taking place<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Luckily, the residents of Bu\u00f1ol took no notice of the ban (even though several were arrested). So the roots of this event grew stronger, until it became a tradition and the festival was finally authorised, subsequently adopting the official name of La Tomatina.<\/p>\n

Why is it held?<\/h3>\n

La Tomatina now forms part of the identity of Bu\u00f1ol and its inhabitants. It\u2019s an authentic tradition that\u2019s eagerly awaited every year. In fact, its importance has transcended borders, as since 2002 La Tomatina has been considered a Festival of International Interest<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

How is it held?<\/h3>\n

Initially, there was no maximum capacity set for taking part in La Tomatina, which would attract over 45,000 people. However, since 2013, there has been a limited capacity<\/strong>, and to take part in La Tomatina you need to purchase a ticket<\/a> costing \u20ac15.<\/p>\n

On the day of the event<\/a>, you need to show your ticket to be given a wristband to enter the area in which La Tomatina is held, via two access points: Calle San Luis, 52, and Calle Diputaci\u00f3n, 2.Once the water cannon is fired to mark the start of La Tomatina, the action begins. Along the closed-off route, large trucks approach, overflowing with tomatoes, which are thrown and unloaded. In total, more than 100 tonnes<\/strong> of tomatoes are used!<\/p>\n

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