On August 28, the town of Bunol in eastern Spain turned red as around 22,000 people celebrated the annual Tomatina festival. This popular event, held in the last week of August, involves throwing tomatoes at each other in a fun and lively way. Bunol, located 40 kilometers west of Valencia, saw seven trucks deliver 150 tons of ripe tomatoes to the crowd. Non-residents paid 15 euros to join, while locals could participate for free. The festival kicked off with a firecracker, marking the start of the fun. The first challenge was climbing a soap-covered pole to get a leg of ham. Visitors from various countries enjoyed the event, with Taylor from Australia planning to use the leftover tomatoes for spaghetti sauce. Senam from Kenya called the experience “beautiful” and “mind-blowing.” After the festival, cleaning crews quickly washed up, using the natural acidity of the tomatoes to help make the streets clean and shiny. The tomatoes used are specially grown for the festival and are too sour to eat. The Tomatina festival began in 1945 as a spontaneous fight during a parade and has become a beloved tradition, even though it was briefly banned in the 1950s under General Francisco Franco’s leadership.