Reader's Digest - USA (2019-08)

40 kilometresoutsideValencia.The

festival,whichstartsat11amand

lastsfewerthantwohours,involves

thehurlingandsmashingofnear-

ly 145 tonnesofoverripetomatoes.

Ithasbeena fixtureontheSpanish

calendaronlysincethelate1950s.

HeldannuallyonthelastWednes-

dayofAugust,themerrimentbe-

ginswithahamplacedontopof

a greased pole in the town square.

Oncesomeoneclaimstheham,trucks

dischargepast-their-primetomatoes

tothecrowd.Mayhemensues.

Aftercrowdsstartedswellingto

morethan50,000a whileback,local

authoritieslimitedaccesstothefirst

22,000participantswhopurchase

ticketstojointhefoodfight.

Ifyougo,thinkabouttakingswim

gogglestoprotectyoureyes,a pairof

oldsneakers(they’llberuined)and

a changeofclothes.Afterthebattle,

fire engines hose down the streets

andresidentspitchinbyhosing

everyone – and everything– off.

AndrewFerren

Festival-Mediaval
SELB,GERMANY
SEPTEMBER6-8
EverySeptember,thesmallBavari-
antownofSelbontheCzechborder
transformsintoaphantasmagoric
realmofdancingelves,fairymaid-
ens,head-bangingTeutonicwarri-
orsandvendorshawkingeverything
fromstainedglasstoMutzbraten,a
Bavarian-spicedporkspecialty.
Festival-Mediaval,whichclaims
tobethelargestmedievalfestivalin
Europe,followstheunspokenruleof
sucheventsinthatlooselyfaithful
historicalre-enactmentsmixwith
charactersandimagerydrawnfrom
themagicalworldsofJ.R.R.Tolkien,
GameofThrones,Dungeons&Drag-
onsandotherfantasysubgenres.
WhiletheSelbfestivaldoesn’tap-
proachtheMiddleAgeswithquite
thebellicoserigourofotherGerman
festssuchastheKaltenbergerKnights’
Tournament,purportedlytheworld’s
largestjoustingevent,therewillbe
battlestakingplaceonlandandwa-
ter,byjoust,sickleandpowderkeg.In
addition,therewillbea literaturetent
whereleadingfantasyandhistorical
authors will readfromtheirbooks.
CharlyWilder
CONDENSEDFROMTHENEWYORKTIMES(MAY6,
PHOTO: SHANE BAISDEN COURTESY OF PPTR AVEL.COM2018), © NEW YORK TIMES, W W W.NY TIMES.COM

115

Must See Festivals in Europe