Trucks that are normally used for mining were loaded with around 150 tons of tomatoes. The tomatoes were dumped onto the town's main street; and for about an hour, participants hurled these tomatoes at one another while pop songs blasted from speakers.
Non-local attendees paid 15 euros (17.5 USD) for a ticket. No glass bottles or hard objects were allowed; the tomatoes must be crushed before being thrown at people; and attendees must stop at the sound of a cannon blast marking the end of the festival.
More than 22,000 people from around the world were expected to take part this year.
First Deputy Mayor Sergio Galarza, who's in charge of La Tomatina, said: “We used 120 tons of tomatoes last year. This year, it's 150 tons of tomatoes, brought in from Badajoz, just like last year. We need seven trucks to load and deliver all those tomatoes.”
The tomatoes were grown for the festival and not meant for human consumption.
La Tomatina originated from a spontaneous brawl during a parade in 1945, when local people began throwing tomatoes from a nearby vegetable market. Today, the festival has become a famous cultural symbol of Spain.
