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The annual tradition of throwing over-ripe tomatoes and drinking tomatoes in the form of Bloody Marys returns to Milwaukee's east side this Saturday.
This year will be the 13th annual Tomato Romp Festival on East North Avenue.The festival is made up of two parts.
The first part of the festival is the East Side Rotten Tomato Fight for Hunger. It is North America's first rotten tomato fight inspired by La Tomatina Fight in Spain. The proceeds of the tomato food fight are donated to the Riverwest Food Pantry's Healthy Food Fund.
The second part of the festival is the Smirnoff Vodka Bloody Mary Challenge among East North Avenue establishments.
East side bars and restaurants compete to bring the best Smirnoff Bloody Mary, paired with a Miller High Life pony chaser, to the voting community. The people will choose a winner, as will a group of celebrity judges.
The Bloody Mary competition begins at 11 a.m.
Ballots can be purchased in advance by visiting www.tomatoromp.com or on Saturday at the registration desk at North and Farwell avenues. A ballot purchase of $30, and $35 after Thursday, gives the voter a 5 oz Bloody Mary sample and beer chaser from each of the participating establishments.
The Tomato Food fight begins at 3:30 p.m. Participants must be 16 or older. There is an entrance fee of $10, which includes a pair of goggles and a free T-shirt, with all fight proceeds donated to the Riverwest Food Pantry. The fight is free to watch.
For more information, visit www.tomatoromp.com or call 262-930-7707.
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