PONCHA SPRINGS — On and off since the 1980s, a good-natured (albeit tumultuous) war has been held in the scenic vistas west of Colorado Springs, a battle between Coloradans and Texans where over-ripe tomatoes are the ammunition of choice.
This year saw dozens of combatants and many more onlookers head out towards Poncha Springs to take part in the third-annual revival of the Great Colorado vs Texas Tomato War.
This year's battle, which is done with safety glasses in place, boasted 2,500 pounds of overly ripe tomatoes for ammunition.
According to the website dedicated to this grand and tradition-laden conflict, the war dates back to 1982 and was precipitated by a less-than-well-received conversation between, you guessed it, a Coloradan and a Texan.
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 [Twin Lakes resident] 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.
The first rendition of this chaotic, but ultimately good-natured, combat ran for 12 years, with one war seeing more than 500 participants.
According, again, to the war's website, the persistent battle cries for Colorado included:
- "Keep Colorado Beautiful. Buy a Texan a bus ticket home.”
- "Drink Beer and Hit a Texan."
Organizers report that past and present wars have seen the Texans regularly outnumbered, leading to a host of interesting strategies. Perhaps the most popular being the creation of "The Tomalamo."
This is, of course, the tomato Alamo; which is a structure comprised of bales of hay and defended fiercely by those Texans in attendance.
While the shape, size, and location have been subject to change over the many years of the war's existence, the purpose has always been the same, to have rip roaring good time.
When the war was revived in 2020 in the town of Guffey by Larry Bunte, a 10-year participant in the wars from the 1980s, a secondary goal was tacked on, to raise money to aid the fight against cystic fibrosis.
The following year saw the event reinvent itself once again.
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.
This year, organizers say the event was even larger and still maintained its goal of fundraising for good purposes.
Looking to the future, the goal is only to get bigger and better, giving more folks a chance to chuck tomatoes at each other in good fun.
A final word from the the organizers, "Everyone is reminded that the Colorado versus Texas theme is just an excuse to have fun."
To learn more about the Great Colorado vs Texas Tomato War, CLICK HERE.
