La Tomatina Festival is celebrated on the last Wednesday in August in the small town of Bunol in eastern Spain. The week long festival which includes music, parades, dancing, and fireworks. On the night before the tomato fight, participants of the festival compete in a paella cooking contest. when 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 around 11AM sharp, participants struggle to climb to the top of the pole to bring down the ham. sound of a cannon is fired to signal the beginning and end of the tomato-throwing after The festival ends Firefighters use water canons to wash down the streets with water provided from a Roman aqueduct. Participation in the Festival have are strongly encouraged to wear protective safety goggles and gloves and must squish the tomatoes before throwing for safety precautions.