Tomato Battle!

This was the first year for this event in PDX and I hope it comes back. It’s big, messy, gross — did I mention messy?
See the gist is to toss tomatoes at each other. Show up early to imbibe some alco-​ma-​hol though, some sun & some tunes. We enjoyed warming up in that rare PacNW sun, sipping on the Pyramid brews and waiting for mayhem. Pack your ID, cash and any other must-​haves in a ziploc bag. It’s gonna get wet.
They hide the piles, but a friend of ours was a veteran from Seattle. You gotta line up early. Once they open the gate you walk (don’t run, they’ll boot you) to gather around three massive piles of overripe tomatoes. Oh yes, you’re about to toss these at your friends and strangers alike. Anxiety builds then… EXPLOSION of tomatoes!
The tomato fight is pure, insane, unbelievable and indescribable chaos. Don’t wear flip flops, you’ll lose those in a minute. Wear eye gear of sorts. Though most of the tomatoes were overripe and explosive, those green mofo tomatoes hurt like a grenade. There is no method to this madness, grab a tomato and hurl. Midway through, grab a pile of Ragu sauce and hurl. It’s mutha-​effing-​hilarious. Oh — keep your mouth shut — those tomatoes are naaaasty.
The wash off stations sucks. It’s a month later and I think my clothes from that day are finally clean. I recommend a trip to Goodwill next time. Buy some clothes you don’t mind tossing ’cause clean ain’t gonna happen.
Overall, this was hysterical fun and I hope it comes back next year. Who wouldn’t love a massive food fight between adults on the weekend?