Each month of the year, you’re bound to find some sort of fruit or vegetable festival—strawberry, orange, sweet corn, pumpkin. You’ve been, you’ve tasted, you might have even won a blue-ribbon for your prize-winning produce. But how would you like to play with your food? We found five extreme veggie sports that give traditional farm festivals a run for their money.
1. Tomato Royale
Sure, your parents always told you not to play with your food, but at Tomato Royale, it’s practically mandatory. When you hear the musical cue, run to tomato-filled crates, grab as many tomatoes as you can, and chuck them at family, friends or complete strangers! Just don’t throw it at their heads. Other rules, as well as locations and dates of this ultimate food-fighting challenge can be found on the event’s website.
2. Punkin Chunkin
Pumpkins are traditionally used for pumpkin pie, jack-o’-lanterns, pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies and more. If you’re looking for an extreme use for your pumpkins that tests your brawn, head out to Punkin Chunkin, where you can launch pumpkins from a homemade catapult for charity—and better yet, prove that you’re the best “punkin chunker” in the land. The money raised at the event, sponsored by the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association, benefits youth organizations, scholarships and the community. Head to Delaware every October for some pumpkin-throwing fun! The event is free for children and active-duty military members.
3. Mashed Potato Wrestling
Minnesota’s Potato Days might seem like any other traditional vegetable festival, but instead of taste-testing potatoes in baked, sweet or French-fried form, you’ll be wrestling in them. Yes, wrestling. Choose your opponent and battle it out in mashed potatoes. The event is free, and no food goes to waste (local cattle eat the leftover potatoes).
4. The International Rutabaga Curling World Championship
It’s quite possible that you’ve never heard of curling outside of the Olympic games, but the International Rutabaga Curling World Championship brings this sport to you in farm-style fashion by giving you the chance to throw around this cruciferous root vegetable for the chance to win a gold medal. Whether you love rutabagas or just have the desire to throw one in competition, this might be the event for you. Head out to Ithaca, N.Y., and join in the fun!
5. Pea Shooting
If you’re headed to the United Kingdom this July (or if touring the world in search of sweet and crispy pea pods is for you), check out the Peasenhall Pea Festival, where you can participate in events, such as pea throwing, pea shooting (from a straw in your mouth) or, our favorite, a pea-eating contest in which you must use chopsticks!
Do you know of any other “extreme veggie sports”? Have you participated in any? Let us know in the comments.
Looking for more practical use of your produce? Check out these articles:
