DON'T BE SCARED--IT'S TOMATOES

At the Tomatina Festival in Bunol, Spain, this week, they celebrated. They threw tomatoes at volunteers/participants. To celebrate the harvest? I don't know, but that's a guess.

Festivals like this have been going on for a long time. With so much depending upon a good harvest, farmers and eaters have felt like celebration. Based on what kinds of weather, what kinds of growing conditions, farmers specialized. Bunol, probably with similar soil conditions of central Illinois, focused on tomatoes. At the end of the growing season, it was time to party. By throwing tomatoes.

Hey, it could be worse. Just think what sweet corn and watermelon tossing could do to an MTV participant who received those hurls. Or even worse. How about West Frankfort's Old King Coal Days. We could have another "Lottery". Wayne City has Bean Days. Lots of possibilities there that don't include throwing anything. Bonnie, IL has Straw and Hay Days. That wouldn't be too bad, unless bales were included. But that would have to be a close range chuck.

I'm sure that with a little Google time, I could come up with some other really good Fall Festivals. But I just wanted to give you a taste, a little savor of what festivaling is all about. Feel free to expand my list. But when you go to Wayne City, IL's Bean Days and you see farting post referenced, well that says enough for me about those festivities.