Grey Duck Garlic
Garlic Festivals (Updated for 2012! )
Check out the descriptions and websites of some great USA and Canada garlic festivals below. Garlic festivals are a good way to totally immerse yourself in the whole garlic experience. You can taste garlic ice cream, wear garlic hats, watch garlicky cooking shows, and see people dressed up as garlic. Most festivals have music, entertainers and people having tons of fun with their favorite herb. A big plus, everyone is eating garlic so no one needs to worry about stinky breath! Many garlic festivals donate their proceeds to charity and/or benefit local growers so you will be helping others while you enjoy yourself.
If your favorite garlic festival is missing or you would like to provide me with additional information about any of these festivals please contact me (Susan) at greyduck @greyduckgarlic.com with the details. Even if attending a garlic festival is not in your plans, remember that National Garlic Day is April 19 and celebrate with a favorite garlic dish!
Garlic growers near these festivals may want to explore the benefits of participating. Festivals can be a great way to maximize consumer exposure to your farm. For other ways to succeed in garlic growing, check out our marketing tips or see our suggestions on how to grow the biggest bulbs.
Left: Garlic producers Edna, Susan and Jane show off the tools of their trade. We aren't sure what Edna plans to do with the broom!
Garlic festivals are listed by state. I've included a quick summary of the main events of each festival and whether the celebration seem to focus on gourmet garlic cooking, growing garlic varieties, or just plain garlic fun! Click on festival name to go to their official website and learn more.
California
Gilroy Garlic Festival
Where: Gilroy, CA
When: the last full weekend in July (July 27, 28 and 29, 2012)
Tickets: Adult $17.00, seniors over 60 years $8.00, children 6-12 $8.00, children under 6 free
The Gilroy Garlic Festival is the big boy of garlic festivals. It was started in 1979 to help foster community pride in the areas softneck garlic production. Since that time it has grown into a huge, heavily sponsored event with loads of garlic themed entertainment. This festival concentrates more on the food and fun aspect of garlic than on garlic production or diversity.
Main Features:
Cook-Off Stage
Hourly cooking demonstrations
Garlic themed food booths
"So You Think You Can Cook With Garlic", Facebook garlic cook-off
Three stages of musical entertainment
Entertainers of all kinds
Miss Gilroy Garlic competition
Arts and crafts of different sorts
Children’s activities and mini rides all 3 days
Florida
Delray Beach Garlic Fest
Where: Delray Beach, Florida
Dates: 2012: Feb. 10, 11, & 12
Tickets: $10 per day
Delray Beach Garlic Festival features three days of cooking demonstrations and competitions by chefs from all over the country. In addition, top chefs compete in a timed contest for the title of Garlic Chef. The chefs are handed a basket of surprise ingredients and have to prepare a salad, an appetizer and an entree; all in under 1 hour. If you are a fan of gourmet cooking shows this may be the festival for you. This festival is orientated towards ‘Food Entertainment’ and fine dining not garlic growing.
Main Features:
Cooking shows and competitions
Garlic themed food booths and venders
Fine wine
Performers and musicians to entertain
Children’s activities
Carnival rides
Connecticut
Olde Mistick Village Garlic Festival
Where: Mystic, Connecticut
When: September 17-18, 2012
Free to the public
The Olde Mistick Village Garlic Festival offers you a chance to visit with garlic growers, sample some garlicky food and check out local crafters.
Main Features:
Garlic growers
Local crafters
Live bands
Garlic and Harvest Festival
Where:Bethlehem, Connecticut
When: October 6 & 7, 2012
Tickets: Adults $7, seniors $6, children under 12 $1
The Garlic and Harvest Festival features fun for all with garlic growing lectures, cooking demos and live music.
Main Features:
Cooking demos
Over 200 venders
Free samples
Garlic growing lectures
Live music
Children’s rides and games
Massachusetts
North Quabbin Garlic and Arts
Where: Forsters Farm, Orange, Massachusetts
When: September 29 & 3o, 2012
Tickets: Adults $5/day or $8/weekend, children free
North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Fest features interesting demonstrations, a raw garlic eating contest, unique venders, renewable energy info, and lots of family entertainment.
Main Features:
Garlic food booths
Chef demonstrations
Raw garlic eating contest
Many types of venders and booth
Art, regional agriculture, healing art and other demonstrations
Live music and entertainment
Children’s activities with projects and hayrides
Minnesota
Minnesota Garlic Festival
Where: Hutchinson, MN
When: August 13, 2011
Tickets: Adults $5, kids under 12 $3, babies free
Minnesota Garlic Festival has over 100 varieties of garlic from local growers for you to buy! This family friendly and zero waste event has cooking demonstrations, entertainment and live music.
Main Features:
Garlic growing contest (prizes for biggest, smallest and ugliest bulb!)
Cooking demonstrations by Minnesota chefs
Local artisans
Garlic cafe “The Great Scape”
Live Music
Children’s activities
Kite flying
New York
Hudson Valley Garlic Festival
Where: Saugerties, New York
When: (Always held the last week in September) September 24 & 25, 2011
Tickets: $10 per day at gate, advance tickets $7 adults and $3 senior, children under 12 free
Hudson Valley Garlic Festival has an astonishing variety of garlic varieties and venders complimented by great entertainment. The garlic takes center stage here and everything else revolves around it. If you are looking to sample the full range of garlic flavors, this is the place to do it. For the grower or cook there are many garlic growers selling exotic garlic seed or culinary garlic. This is one of the larger garlic festivals.
Main Features:
Garlic growers and garlic supplies
Garlic themed arts and crafts
Garlic food venders selling exotic creations
Garlic Seed Foundation to answer questions about the stinking rose
Chefs and expert lecturers
Performers and musicians
Many children’s activities
Cuba Garlic Festival
Where: Empire City Farms, Cuba, New York
When: September 15 & 16, 2012
Tickets: $8 person, children under 8 free
The Cuba Garlic Festival is a fun family event with food and craft demonstrations, a garlic cook off, cheese making demo, and dog agility exposition. Enter your perfect garlic in a great garlic bulb contest or participate in a garlic hot dog eating contest!
Main Features:
Garlic King and Queen
Garlic cook off
Garlic hot dog eating contest
Amateur wine making competition
Garlic food venders
Food and Artesian demonstrations
Artesian booths
Beer tent
Live music and entertainers
Children’s activities including pony rides and petting zoo
Fox Run Vineyard Garlic Festival
Where: Pen Yan, New York
When: August 4 & 5, 2012
Free to public
The Fox Run Vineyard Garlic Festival pairs fine wines with garlic foods and music. There are a series of lectures on garlic growing, cooking, wine, and food.
Main Features:
Garlic lectures and cooking demonstrations
Garlic food tent with wine tasting
Vender tent
Garlic food and spices
Live Music
Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival
Where: Little Falls, New York
When: September 8, 2012
Tickets: Adults $3, per group or family $10, children under 12 free
Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival offers a fun day watching the garlic cook off, garlic braiding demonstrations and medicinal herb lectures.
Main Features:
Garlic and herb growers
Artisans
Garlicky food
Garlic Queen
Live music
Garlic cook off
Moss Island tours
Long Island Garlic Festival
Where: Garden of Eve, Aquebogue, New York
When: September 29 & 30, 2012
Tickets: Adults $3, children under 6 free
The Long Island Garlic Festival celebrates garlic with garlic food, crafts, music and theater.
Main Features:
Garlic and craft venders
Garlic foods
The Great Garlic Cook Off
Live music
Children’s activities including pony rides and hay rides
Pocono Garlic Festival
Where: Shawnee Mountain in East Stroudsburg, PA
When: Labor Day weekend (September 1 & 2, 2012)
Tickets: At the gate adults $10 and children 5-12 $7.50, in advance adults $7.50 and children 5-12 $6, children 4 or under free
Pocono Garlic Festival has plenty of family entertainment with two days of nonstop garlic food, music, novelty family shows, and children’s activities. Cooking demonstrations by chefs; local growers and artisans; and strolling entertainers add to the air of fun.
Main Features:
Growers selling garlic and other farm raised products
Garlic themed arts and crafts
Garlic food venders (including garlic flavored snow cones)
Chefs and lecturers
2 outdoor stages for performers and musicians
Many children’s activities including an educational tent
Hot and Stinky Garlic & Herb Festival
Where: Zanolini Nursery & Country Shop in Drums, PA
When: August 27 & 28, 2012
The Keystone State Hot and Stinky Garlic and Herb Festival features local garlic growers and crafters. Have a fun time watching or participating in a garlic eating contest!
Main Features:
Garlic eating contest
Hot pepper eating contest
Chili cook of
Pottery making demonstrations
Easton Garlic Fest
Where: Easton, Pa
When: (have not announced date for festival yet, it was the first weekend in October in 2011)
The Easton Garlic Fest offers fun cooking demos, free food samples and a Dracula Dip contest.
Main Features:
Dracula Dip contest
Cooking demos
Local farmers and crafters
Free samples
Beer and wine
Live music
Washington
Northwest Garlic Festival
Where: Ocean Park, WA
When: the 3rd weekend in June (June 16 & 17, 2012)
Free to public
The Northwest Garlic Festival features fun family entertainment with a variety of venders, food and live music.
Main Features:
Garlic peeling contest
Garlic food and spices
Garlic themed venders
Musicians
Okanogan River Garlic Festival
Where: Okanogan, WA
When: August 24 & 25, 2012
Free to public
Okanogan River Garlic Festival is a fun family oriented event with a garlic piñata, and a dunk tank. It offers local wine, bread and cheese tasting.
Main Features:
Food
Wine tasting ($10 for 5 tickets)
Local venders
Entertainment
Garlic Faire
Where: China Bernd Winery, Kettle Falls, WA
When: Do not have 2012 schedule up yet (it was held on August 20 & 21, 2011)
Tickets: $5
The Garlic Faire combines a weekend of organic wine and garlic with live music.
Main Features:
Gourmet food
Wine
Arts and Crafts
Live music
Chehalis Garlic Fest and Crafts Show
Where: Chehalis, WA
When: August 24, 25 & 26, 2012
Tickets: Adults: $5, seniors over 65 $4, children under 7 free
The Chehalis Garlic Fest and Craft Faire features fun for all with 70 different kinds of organic garlic, gourmet garlic foods, a vintage trolley to pick up people in the Twin Cities, wine tasting and pony rides.
Main Features:
Garlic food venders
Arts and craft venders
Seed garlic
Cloves and Bulbs Wine Tasting
Beer garden
Children’s activities
Pony rides
Live music on outdoor stage
Vermont
Southern Vermont Garlic and Herb Festival
Where: Bennington, Vermont
When: September 1 & 2, 2012
Tickets: $5 per day or $8 for both days (children under 12 $1)
Southern Vermont Garlic and Herb Festival has fun activities for garlic growers and cooks. You can go on a weed walk to discover the different properties of common plants, learn how to grow garlic, try to get a hole in one in garlic golf, or relax in the beer and wine tent with a garlic margarita.
Main Features:
Garlic golf
Herbalist and ‘weed walks’
Garlic growers
Over 100 venders of various types (including herbalists)
Lectures on planting, growing, harvesting and braiding garlic
Cooking demonstrations
Musicians on stage all day
Hay maze and children’s activities
Virginia
Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival
Where: Amherst, Virginia
When: October 8 & 9, 2011
Tickets: With wine tasting: $18 advance, $25 at door
General: $14 advance, $20 at door, children under 12 free
The Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival features a selection of wine from Virginia wineries and garlic from local growers. Spend the weekend drinking great wine, sampling garlicky food, and being entertained.
Main Features:
Rebec Garlic Cook Off
Local craftspeople and garlic growers
Garlic queen competition
Musicians, comedians, belly dancers and more
Canada
Perth Garlic Festival
Where: Perth, Ontario, Canada
When: August 11 & 12, 2012
Tickets: Adults $5, children 12 and under free
Perth Garlic Festival offers a garlicky good time with local garlic growers, educational lectures, cooking demos, and an art silent auction. One of the world's top 10 garlic festivals!
Main Features:
Cooking Demos
Silent art auction
Garlic growers
Over 70 craft and food venders
Fish Lake Garlic Man
Bird of prey show
Tailgate rib cook off
Children’s activities
Live music
Carp Farmer’s Market Garlic Festival
Where: Carp Farmer’s Market, Carp, Ontario, Canada
When: August 11 & 12, 2012
Free to public
Carp Farmer’s Market Garlic Festival features fun cooking demos, garlic growing lectures, garlic tasting, and over 100 market booths.
Main Features:
Garlic growers
Garlic Food and tasting
Cooking demos
Garlic braiding demos
Garlic growing lectures
Market venders
Best garlic contest
South Cariboo Garlic Festival
Where: Lac La Hache, BC, Canada
When: August 25 & 26, 2012
Tickets: Adults $5 for both days, children 12 and under free
At South Cariboo Garlic Festival you can take your picture with the garlic mascot Galina, try a garlic cookie or watch the Master Garlic Chef competition. It is fun for the whole family with live entertainment and activities for children.
Main Features:
Garlina, the official garlic ambassador
Garlic treats including cookies
Master garlic chef competition
Craft venders
Live music and entertainment
Children’s activities
Hill’s Garlic Festival
Where: New Denver, BC, Canada
When: September 9, 2012
Tickets: Adults $4 at gate, adults $3 in advance, children under 12 free
Hill’s Garlic Festival has fun contests and activities for everyone. Try your hand at garlic poetry or see who has the largest bulb! Over 160 booths feature organic, homemade and hand grown garlic, produce, plants and all sorts of crafts. Listed as one of the world's top 10 garlic festivals.
Main Features:
Organic garlic and produce
Food
Crafts and plants
Largest garlic and heaviest clove contest
Best garlic poem
Best garlic braid
Live music
Children’s activities
Stratford Garlic Festival
Where: Stratford, Ontario, Canada
When: September 8 & 9, 2012
Tickets: Adults $5, children under 5 free
Stratford Garlic Festival offers family friendly fun with cooking demos, educational presentations, and a Garlic Cook Off.
Main Features:
Food court
Cooking demos
Garlic chef competition ($5)
Gourmet garlic dinner
Live music and entertainers
Children’s activities
The Palouse (Idaho and Washington)
Unfortunately, we have no garlic festival here on the Palouse. We do, however, have the Palouse Lentil Festival, in which you can eat lentil ice cream, wear lentil hats and see one person dressed up as Tase T. Lentil. It is a free two day event, complete with a giant kettle of free lentil stew, a parade, recipe tasting and live music. If you are near Pullman, WA on August 19-20, 2011 check out the Palouse Lentil Festival.
