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A trip to Valencia in August wouldn't be complete without a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the La Tomatina festival in nearby Bunol. The annual event is known as the biggest food fight in the world and is one of the most unique and memorable festival experiences in Europe. An estimated 40,000 people fill the streets of the town centre each year for the tomato fight, which always takes place in late August and is thought to date back to the mid-1940s. While there are many legends surrounding the origins of the festival, it is most likely it originated in 1945, when a fight broke out at a carnival parade in the town square. Participants hurled tomatoes from a local stand at each other until the conflict was broken up by the police - but the following year, people returned again to the square with their own tomatoes to continue the tradition. By the mid-1950s, the festival was a regular summer event in Bunol and the local town hall took over the responsibility of planning and promoting the event in 1980 - a move which has seen La Tomatina grow to the size it is today. Events get underway when local farmers deposit truckloads of tomatoes into the town square and fire them into the crowd - this begins a one-hour food fight, with supplies of tomatoes constantly being replenished by lorries passing through the village. The local authority sets out a number of rules to help keep participants safe - tomatoes must be squashed before they are thrown and festivalgoers cannot rip each other's t-shirts or throw anything other than tomatoes. It is also wise to keep an eye out for the trucks of tomatoes passing through the village and to listen for the sound of the second incendiary device, which signals the end of the tomato fight. After this, no more tomatoes can be thrown and the participants flock to the river to clean themselves off. While La Tomatina is sure to be the highlight of your August trip to Spain, you may also want to explore other destinations on your break. The nearby city of Valencia is great for those seeking a bit of history in the old town or soaking up sun on the beaches. And other villages close to Valencia offer plenty to tempt festivalgoers, including an all-night wine and cheese festival. Finally, you may wish to explore the stunning city of Barcelona - which can be reached by train from Valencia - to soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere for a few days before you return home. With First Festival Travel, taking in sporting events and European festivals is easy - you can search a wide selection of events including La Tomatina festival. If you want to take in a top European festival, we are sure to have the package for you.
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