First Posted: 8/7/2013
Splat.
It’s like a school cafeteria food fight, but instead of hurling mashed potatoes, they hurl squashed tomatoes.
Welcome to Pittston Tomato Festival’s Tomato Fights.
The contest is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 17 in the parking lot of Coopers on the Waterfront Restaurant at 304 Kennedy Boulevard in Pittston.
It’s based on the Spanish festival, La Tomatina that is held in the Valencian town of Buñol, , in which participants throw tomatoes simply for fun.
It is held on the last Wednesday of August, during the week of festivities of Buñol.
The Pittston event has a $5 entry fee, which includes use of protective eye goggles. Festival organizers said 350 cases of near-rotten tomatoes weighing more than 5 tons were used in the 2012 event.
All proceeds will benefit local charities.
Participants must register in advance at Cooper’s Waterfront.
Winners and losers? Not in this contest.
One open round of up to 150 participants (15 years of age or older) will divide and face off.
Participants will toss rotten tomatoes at friendly foes across the parking lot.
The event is sponsored by Cooper’s Waterfront and Price Chopper.
The Tomato Fights were named by Outside magazine to its “2013 Adventure Bucket List.” “Win a Food Fight” at the Tomato Festival was Pennsylvania’s entry. A bucket list is a list of things you hope to do before you die.