The Great Colorado vs Texas Tomato War

In the early 1980's, what may have precipitated the first tomato war was a comment made to Taylor Adams, the owner of the Inn of the Black Wolf at Twin Lakes.  The inn was so-named at the time because the she raised wolves there.

A woman from Dallas surveyed the natural beauty of the area that is nestled below Mt. Elbert, Colorado's highest peak. “It sure is pretty here,” she exclaimed.  "It's a shame no one has done anything with it. " The owner knew right then that she needed to do something, not about developing the area, but about Texans.  Thus was born The Great Colorado versus Texas Tomato War.

Ever since Texans could drive, they have vacationed and purchased property in Colorado, creating a love-hate relationship with Coloradans who like to take Texans' money while begrudging their presence.

Apparently, other Coloradans feel the same way.  As many as 500 participated in one  “war” at Twin Lakes during a 12-year run that began in 1982.  The Colorado battle cry was “Keep Colorado Beautiful.  Buy a Texan a bus ticket home.”

Some of the best strategy has included a Texan arriving by helicopter, a Coloradan arriving by parachute and a peace march by a dissenting group.  In 1984 inventive Texans moved into battle with a cardboard tank complete with a cannon that squirted tomato juice.

During past wars, the outnumbered Texans have employed elaborate strategies.  They have built forts of straw bales and dubbed the forts “the Tomalamo.”  The Tomalamo has typically been the scene of the most intense fighting.

In some years, protesters arrived in outrageous costumes carrying signs that read, “Hell no.  We won't throw,” and spouting slogans saying tomatoes should be used for Bloody Marys and barbeque sauce.  Mock protesters shouted “Make Paste, Not Waste.”

In 2020 the tomato war was revived by a 10-year participant in “the wars” at Twin Lakes.  Larry Bunte, with the help of friends and fraternity brothers, organized a small event in Guffey, Colorado, and raised over $1,700 for Cystic Fibrosis.

In the fall of 2021, the Rotary Club of Buena Vista, with the help of Larry Bunte and friends, organized a larger event at The Meadows on the outskirts of Buena Vista. Nearly $9,000 was raised to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in the Buena Vista and Lake County School Districts.

Almost $12,000 was raised in 2022. After a year to recover, the Great Colorado versus Texas Tomato War returned. The event was held near Poncha Springs and, in spite of threatening weather. raised $14,000 for Chaffee County Hospitality. This year, in 2025, with the event organized by the Optimist Club and assurances of beautiful fall weather, The Great Colorado versus Texas Tomato War promises to be even bigger, better and more fun!

Event Rules

The following rules are in place to ensure fun and safety of all participants:

1.      Protection Equipment:

a.       Safety glasses or approved eye protection must be worn by all Tomato War participants.  (Eye protection is available at the Registration Table for a fee.)

b.      Helmets or face shields are not allowed.

c.       Medieval armor, while fashionable, is not allowed.

2.      Uniforms

a.       Participants must wear a blue or red bandana signifying their team affiliation. 

b.      Plastic bags or ponchos are acceptable to wear on the field.

3.      Tomato Throwers:

a.       Tomatoes can be thrown overhand, side arm or underhand, but they must be thrown by a human.  

b.      No mechanically assisted forms of throwing including but not limited to lacrosse sticks, Jai Alai rackets, or trebuchets. 

c.       No kinetic forms of assistance which means you can’t modify your potato gun into “tomato guns”.  

4.      Personal Contact and Behavior

a.       All participants must remain on their feet (unless injured).

b.      Other than handshakes, high fives and hugging at the end, physical contact between participants is not allowed.  

c.       Referees are there for everyone’s safety.  They are the final arbiters.  Don’t throw tomatoes at them. 

d.      This is all for fun.  Act accordingly or be removed and thrown in the dungeon. 

5.      Tomato War Property

a.       Leave Tomato War Property in place.  Flages, hay bales and signage are meant to delineate the field of play. 

b.      They are not items to be captured, thrown or destroyed. 

6.      Consent

a.       You agree to sign a liability waiver before any activity is undertaken

b.   You consent that photos or videos of you, your teammates or family – regardless of age - may end up on social media so smile for the camera.   :)

Safety is of Utmost Importance!

All participants (or guardians) must sign a waiver in order to participate in the events. While we're all here to have a good time throwing some rotten fruit it may not come at the expense or safety of another participant, spectator or volunteer.
All liability falls on the participants and spectators of the event to ensure they are aware and responsible for their own safety. For additional information please reference the waiver terms below or at time of registration pick-up in person.

The waiver will be available for signature before entering the event.

Where should I stay?

Chaffee county is full of great hotels, motels, vacation rentals and camping options. We recommend booking early or planning for your campsite (reserved or dispersed) to align with the dates of the event. While we cannot offer onsite accommodations this year we hope to be able to in the future!.

Do I have to throw / be hit?

No - We have all sorts of entertainment, food / drink, and carnival games to accompany the event. There's a flavor of Tomato Wars for everyone - we just want to have some fun and raise money for a good cause. No need to get your clothes dirty.

What if I'm not from Colorado or Texas?

While the history of the event was indeed a war between Texas and Colorado - we take all states, countries, clubs, schools and allegiances... we just want to raise some funds for the Buena Vista Optimist Club, which, in turn, supports over 30 different youth organizations in Chaffee County.  Come on come all.

Can children participate?

Yes! We've made some adjustments to last year's festivities so that both kids and adults can both participate safely and have fun. Children 10 years old and under will participate in their own "battle."  The carnival games will also bring their best tomato throwing skills to bare!

What about pets?

This is dependent our final locale - but generally we advise against bringing pets to the event. You of course know your pet and their ability to be in large crowds with a significant amount of tomatoes on the ground... so you decide if that's something you would like to deal with :). Any pet will be the liability of the owner and not the event or it's organizers/attendees.

I mean we love pets but generally don't think it's a great idea.