August is not National Tomato Month, but maybe it should be. Tomatoes are at their peak of harvest right now and quite a few festivals that fete the red fruit take place throughout the month, including the very popular La Tomatina Festival which takes place the last Wednesday of August every year in Buñol, Spain.

La Tomatina has inspired similar festivals around the world, including Tomato Battles here in the US. While a few of their tomato-throwing celebrations have already taken place in Seattle and San Diego, you haven’t missed your chance to take part – there are more Tomato Battles scheduled for September in Chicago, Dallas, Pleasanton (CA) and Metairie (LA).

Of course if you’re more interested in tomato-on-your-plate than tomato-in-your-face, whip up some Salmorejo or Pa Amb Tomàquet, and of course be sure to check back on Thursday for our weekly What to Make This Weekend post for a fresh, easy tomato recipe and Spanish wine pairing.

My tomato plant grew like wildfire this summer and it’s covered in a mass of green tomatoes. I’m just waiting for them to fully ripen and turn red, which should be any day now. Fresh tomatoes are so tasty by themselves and can be used in a wide range of recipes, salsas, and sauces. This is one of the reasons they’re celebrated at a wealth of festivals across the country this month. Here’s a list of fun festivals that fete the wonders of the tomato, a fruit that is considered a vegetable in the culinary world:

Thomas Jefferson’s Tomatoe Faire, Aug 6 in Charlottesville, VA

Tomato Art Fest, Aug 13 in Nashville, TN

Tomato Festival, Aug 13 in Woodland, CA

Tomato Festival, Aug 18-21 in Pittston, PA

Tomato Festival, Aug 19-20 in Reynoldsburg, OH

Homestead Gardens Annual Tomato Festival, Aug 27 in Annapolis, MD

Red Fire Farm Tomato Festival, Aug 27 in Granby, MA

Have you been to any of these festivals or do you have a favorite local tomato event you attend?

Oh and did you know the English word tomato comes from the Spanish word tomatl, and even though it originated in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas. To that I say, “thank you Spain!”