Attention Garlic Lovers (And Those Who Want To Be)!

The annual Minnesota Garlic Festival will be held on 11 August, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rain or shine. The event will be held at the McLeod County Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, MN. It is a short one-hour drive through the sunny down-town Minnesota country-side. 

The festival is organized by the Crow River Sustainable Farming Association. The price of admission is $5 for adults and kiddies under 12 can get in for $3. Babies, whatever age that means, are free (the price for admission that is). You can purchase your tickets at the fairgrounds, but if you go online at mngarlicfest.com you can print a “2 fer 1” ticket coupon. 

This is really a great fun, food, and educational event. Family friendly, fun filled and fragrant, this festive festival features foods, celebrity chefs, music, local artisans, goofy games, and lots of garlic. 

There are outdoor events, such as pony and hay wagon rides, kite making and kite flying, and face painting. There are parades, dancers, singers, and musicians of all stripes, including the renown Royal Pungentness, the Mu Community Taiko Drummers, the Minneapolis Police Pipe and Drum Corps, and there is even Celtic music. There are educational events and demonstrations, such as wild weeds for food and medicine, growing garlic for fun and health, beekeeping and much more. 

Minnesota garlic growers will have the first of their fresh 2012 gourmet garlic crop at the festival. There are over 100 varieties of the country's finest garlic grown in Minnesota, all planted in October, harvested in July, and cured just in time for the festival. Garlic can last up to a year in your kitchen.

I have purchased and grown garlic varieties from different countries, such as Armenia, Russia, Siberia, the Ukraine, Georgia (no, not the USA Georgia), Krasnador (betcha don’t know where that is do you!), Germany, Spain, and Italy. There are growers who will let you sample a wide variety of garlic. No, not all garlic tastes the same. Some are mild. Some will rip your face off. All are different. There are softneck and hardneck varieties. Easy peel. White
and purple tinged varieties. Bulbs with large cloves. Bulbs with small cloves. Garlic ideal for baking or just for eating straight up before your next date. 

And there is plenty of food. Beef. Chicken. Lamb, veggies, honey and more at the festival café, The Great Scape. Have you ever had garlic ice-cream? I didn’t think so. You can get it there. Celebrity chefs will present cooking demonstrations on the main stage throughout the day. And, for an additional fee, you can sample Minnesota wines at a special wine tasting event. 

The Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota supports the development and enhancement ofsustainable farming systems through innovation, demonstration, education, and farmer-to-farmer networking.