Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
A week-long festival leads up to the big tomato fight, which includes parades, fireworks and even a paella cooking contest. On the big day, shopkeepers board up their storefronts to protect them from the impending mess and a ham is placed at the top of a tall, greased pole which must be retrieved before the tomato tossing can begin. At 11 AM sharp, participants struggle to climb to the top of the pole to bring down the ham - then it's every man for himself as 240,000 pounds (108,900 kg) of tomatoes are pelted at everything that moves.