EASTON, Pa. — Thousands of people came out to Easton’s downtown to drink in the stink — sometimes literally — at Easton Garlic Fest Saturday, celebrating their favorite member of the Allium family*.
Walking throughout Centre Square and the spokes, the scent of garlic was everywhere, just as the ravenous attendees would have it, with over 130 vendors offering up fresh bulbs, savory dishes, and yes, even some sweets and beer featuring the pungent flavor of garlic.
Strolling through the Latin Quarter, crowds enjoyed their indulgent dishes while soaking up the sounds of Rey Azteca Mariachi in the early afternoon, eagerly awaiting the evening performance of the legendary Tito Puente Jr.
*(garlic's scientific name is allium sativum, making them relatives to onions which are also of the allium family).
“The nice thing about it is everybody comes in here and their mindset is garlic. You go to a farmers’ market, they're buying tomatoes, they're buying apples. [Here], everyone comes in with the mindset, ‘We’re gonna buy garlic.'"Talk Oaks Farm's Brian Gower
Thankfully, a break in the rough weather offered visitors — including plenty of people sporting Philadelphia Phillies gear as the team enters the division run, and countless dogs enjoying a trot through town — an opportunity to explore the vast range of garlicky goodness.
Multiple farm stands featured delectable varieties of garlic for the true aficionados, offering up tasty types like Music, German White, German Red, Inchelium Red, Turkish, and Roots Buckeye Red.
Tall Oaks Farm owner Brian Gower said his stand was getting some solid traffic just an hour or so into the festival, and significantly more traffic than what he would see at other locations.
“The nice thing about it is, everybody comes in here and their mindset is garlic. You go to a farmers’ market, they're buying tomatoes, they're buying apples. [Here], everyone comes in with the mindset, ‘We’re gonna buy garlic,’” Gower said, adding the fanatics are always on the lookout for the good stuff, including his German White and Doukhobor, which features a more pungent punch.
Emma Gargiulo and Anastasia Bonifate said they enjoyed their first dish of the day at the fest: garlic calamari from 3rd and Ferry Fish Market, with Gargiulo saying “It’s awesome… but it can use more garlic for a garlic festival. But I really like garlic!”
The pair said they were looking forward to taste-testing just about anything, especially garlic Bloody Marys, and the Roasted Garlic Bees Knees mixed drink from Pearly Baker's Ale House.
Kristie Bull, a “featured player” at Two Rivers Brewing Company, said their signature garlic beer was selling quite well by the early afternoon.
Two Rivers Head Brewer Michael Stofko said the brew was a delicious option for garlic fans.
“We take our house lager, and we put crushed garlic into it, about a pound per barrel, and let it age for about a week, rack it out in the kegs, and bring it down here to serve,” Stofko said.
“It’s got a beautiful garlic aroma, and this is like a classic lager, so it’s super drinkable, but at the end of the day, it’s a nice, stinky lager.”
Chris Gibson and Kristin Simonet, who were out and about with their Burmese Mountain Dog, Guinness, said they had only just tried some good garlic bread, but the real mission was to score some good garlic for planting at home.
“This is the place to buy fresh garlic if you want it, and the people from Ohio have some really great stuff,” Simonet said.
Gibson said they were eying some of the interesting culinary options as well.
“We just got here, but I did see some garlic Ice cream, and I might try that,” he said.
As for the ice cream, attendee Alex Minter, who took a gamble on the concoction, said it was “a lot more powerful than I expected.”
“I actually kind of like it, but I think most people wouldn’t, full transparency. The garlic is really strong, but I also really like garlic, so the balance of the sweet and the garlic is good,” Minter said, adding the chunks — yes, chunks — of garlic definitely made a definitive pop in the dessert.
And while the food is easily the biggest draw of the day, there are plenty of options for entertainment, including children’s activities on Little Stinkers Row, competitions such as the 3 Mayors Cookoff — which pairs Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr., Hellertown Mayor David J. Heintzelman, and Phillipsburg Mayor Randy Piazza Jr. with some expert chefs to see which head of local government is the true champion of the bulb — and, of course, the music.
There’s also the Gastric Garlic People’s Choice Contest, where 400 participants sample and judge garlicky dishes from local restaurants, the Dangerous Desserts Contest, and the Chef’s and Mystery Basket Cookoffs.
Of course, you can’t forget the lively music: offerings at the Sizzlin’ Latin Quarter Stage included DJ Nino, the Rey Azteca Mariachi group, Erick Avila, and headliner Tito Puente, Jr. on Saturday, with even more to come on Sunday.
So if you’re looking to take in the pungent smells of the divisive but much-loved plant, you can’t miss checking out the best bulbs in the Commonwealth this weekend at Easton Garlic Fest.
Easton Garlic Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 5 and Oct. 6, 2024. For a breakdown of all the great offerings at the fest, check out our preview story.
