by Theresa Dickison, Maglio & Company

Milwaukee's professional food fighters were at it again on September 17, 2011, at the fifth annual Tomato Romp on the East Side of Milwaukee. Sponsored by Maglio & Company and Educators Credit Union, and organized by the East Side Business Improvement District, the festival raised money to benefit Feeding America, an organization dedicated to feeding the hungry in Wisconsin.

Festivities kicked off at 10:00am with the opening of the East Side Green Market featuring fresh fruits and vegetables from the local area. The Best Bloody Mary Competition kicked off with cocktail connoisseurs doing their level best to taste and judge all eleven entries.

Two tomato cage fights were held this year to accomodate nearly 500 tomato throwers. For a donation to Feeding America, participants received a Tomato Romp t-shirt, bragging rights, and free hosedowns afterwards from Educators Credit Union.

Congratulations to Hotch a Do and Cans Bar and Canteen for winning the fifth annual Best Bloody Mary contest. Hotch A Do won out as the fan's favorite pick while Cans Bar took the judge's prize. Thank you to all of the restaurants and taverns who participated in the contest.

Interested in finding out more about the inspiration for the Tomato Romp? In 1945, a group of teenagers in Buñol, Spain, grabbed handfuls of tomatoes and began throwing them at the participants of a parade that refused to let the teenagers join in on the fun. The next year, the same teenagers decided to recreate the event, not realizing that they were making history. Ever since then, tens of thousands of people attend La Tomatina every August to celebrate and participate in the world's mightiest food fight.

If you are unable to view the Tomato Romp 2011 battle video on this page, please click here to view the fight on YouTube.

Click on the thumbnails below to view larger photos of the Tomato Fight. All photos courtesy of and used with permission of mkeimages.com.