Food Fight: Tomatina festival 2011

Tons of overripe tomatoes were hurled for an hour in a massive red food fight in town of Bunol, Spain, on Aug. 31. The La Tomatina festival -- held each year on the last Wednesday of August -- evolved from a street fight in the 1940s when a group of young men who wanted to participate in the "gigantes y cabezudos" parade used tomatoes from a vegetable stand as weapons. An estimated 40,000 people showed up this year for the food fight. -- Lloyd Young (19 photos total)

A reveler gives the thumbs-up as he is covered with tomato pulp after the annual Tomatina (tomato fight) in the Mediterranean village of Bunol, near Valencia, Aug. 31. (Heino Kalis/Reuters)

Revelers on a truck throw tomatoes into the crowd during the annual Tomatina. (Heino Kalis/Reuters) #

A reveler is covered with tomato pulp after the annual Tomatina (tomato fight) in the Mediterranean village of Bunol. (Heino Kalis/Reuters) #

Revelers throw tomatoes during the annual fight. (Heino Kalis/Reuters) #

A reveler throws tomato pulp during the annual Tomatina tomato fight fiesta in the village of Bunol, near Valencia, Spain, Aug. 31. Bunol's town hall estimated more than 40,000 people, some from as far away as Japan and Australia, took up arms Wednesday and pelted each other with 120 tons of ripe tomatoes in the yearly food fight known as the Tomatina now in its 66th year. (Associated Press/Alberto Saiz) #

A truck tips tomatos onto revellers during the annual Tomatina festival. (Denis Doyle/Getty Images) #

Revelers are covered in tomato juice while participating in the event. (Denis Doyle/Getty Images) #

A reveler plays in tomato pulp during the annual Tomatina tomato fight fiesta in the village of Bunol, near Valencia, Spain. (Associated Press/Alberto Saiz) #

A crowd throws tomatoes at each other during the annual Tomatina festival on Aug. 31. (Denis Doyle/Getty Images) #

Revelers covered with squashed tomatoes kiss during the Tomatina fight in Bunol, near Valencia, Aug. 31. Tens of thousands of revelers splattered each other with 120 tons of squashed tomatoes in a gigantic annual food fight known as the Tomatina. The streets ran red with slippery juice as nearly 40,000 people, many stripped to the waist and drunk with sangria, pelted each other in the Plaza Mayor square and nearby streets of Bunol, eastern Spain. (German Garcia/AFP/Getty Images) #

A reveler on a truck throws tomatoes into the crowd during the annual Tomatina festival. (Heino Kalis/Reuters) #

A reveler is pelted with tomatos during the tomato fight fiesta in the village of Bunol, near Valencia, Spain. (Alberto Saiz/Associated Press) #

Revelers jump in tomato pulp during the annual Tomatina festival. (Heino Kalis/Reuters) #

A reveler leaves the battlefield after the annual festival. (Heino Kalis/Reuters) #

Revelers throw tomatoes during the annual Tomatina tomato fight fiesta in the village of Bunol, near Valencia, Spain, Aug. 31. (Alberto Saiz/Associated Press) #

A reveler lies in tomato pulp. (Alberto Saiz/Assocated Press) #

A reveler lies on a street covered with squashed tomatoes during the Tomatina fight in Bunol, near Valencia Aug. 31. Tens of thousands of revellers splattered each other with 120 tonnes of squashed tomatoes in a gigantic annual food fight. (German Garcia/AFP/Getty Images) #

A reveler is splattered with squashed tomatoes during the Tomatina fight. (German Garcia/AFP/Getty Images) #

A reveler is splattered with squashed tomatoes during the annual Tomatina fight in Bunol August 31. Tens of thousands of revellers splattered each other with 120 tons of squashed tomatoes in a gigantic annual food fight known as the Tomatina. The streets ran red with slippery juice as nearly 40,000 people, many stripped to the waist and drunk with sangria, pelted each other in the Plaza Mayor square and nearby streets of Bunol, eastern Spain. (German Garcia/AFP/Getty Images) #