The annual Boyaca tomato festival,”La Gran Tomatina Colombiana,” is in danger of being cancelled for a second year due to a long, rainy winter.
The Tomatina, which usually takes place in mid-June in Sutamarchan, northern Boyaca, is, according to the event’s website, a festival of tomato-throwing fun, in which tomatoes from area farms that are no longer apt for human consumption are used instead for human recreation.
The event was not held in 2010 due to “a very harsh winter,” said Mr. Suarez, brother of event creator and organizer Heynner Suarez, in a correspondence with Colombia Reports. Inclement weather caused prices to rise steeply, while decreasing the size of the tomato harvest, meaning there were less tomatoes available for fun.
According to Mr. Suarez, similar weather conditions this year could lead the tomato games to be cancelled once again. “It’s been raining day and night,” he said. “We are watching the conditions, but if it continues raining until July, we will have the same problem.”
The festival, if it comes to pass, is something area travelers may want to look out for. It is intended for people of all ages to enjoy themselves, and aside from an excess of rotten tomato juice, attendees will find competitions, dance, and music.