LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people, both Angelenos and visitors from around the world gathered at the Original Farmers Market in downtown Los Angeles during the weekend, enjoying the festivity brought by the annual Fall Festival.
Every year, the Original Farmers Market celebrates the fall harvest with Fall Festival, a free gathering that includes crafts, artisan demonstrations, live music, petting zoo and the festival-favorite pie-eating contest.
"We have been doing our pie-eating contest since I can remember, and we have people who look forward this every year, they sign up in advance, get really into it, and it's something you don' t really see through out the city, we are probably one of the very few venues that still hold a pie-eating contest," said Maritza Cerrato, marketing and tourism specialist with the Original Farmers Market.
Competitors should eat the pie without the help of hands in a limited time, which forces them to dig into pies face-first and minutes later presents audiences a hilarious sight with their faces full of gooey pie, whipped cream and big smiles.
"I was pretty hungry but now I'm good," said the winner Soroush who ate the whole pie during the contest, "I'll join it again the next year, now I have the skill, I'd better use it."
The 84th Fall Festival is the market's oldest and most historic event, it started in 1934, only months after the Original Farmers Market opened.
With over 100 different shops, restaurants and grocers, the market evolved from a traditional farmers market, where farmers sold their vegetables to local customers. The traditional farmers market is also a world-famous tourist destination.