East Side Tomato Romp

The big cafeteria food fight is a cliche when it comes to teen movies, but few of us actually ever get to participate in one. But what if you could get your hands on some rotten tomatoes to hurl at friends (or enemies)? The East Side business improvement district allows you to experience just that with their annual Tomato Romp event, which is capped by a Rotten Tomato Fight. Coming at the end of a day that features a Bloody Mary bar crawl, the tomato fight puts 8,000 pounds of rotten tomatoes and a couple hundred brave souls in a fenced in area. Contestants go nuts throwing tomatoes at each other until everyone, members of the audience standing too close included, is covered in tomato juice.

Contestants paid $10 for the privilege of painting their friends and enemies red. That $10 got them a free t-shirt, pair of goggles, a few good stories to tell, and a day of finding tomato seeds in weird locations. Proceeds were donated to organizations that fight hunger.

This year the Tomato Romp was held on September 13th. Maglio & Company provided the rotten tomatoes. Our photos capture the tomatoes being hurled back and forth in the city parking lot at N. Murray Ave. and E. Thomas Ave.

 

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