Sat 8/27 @ noon-8PM
Sun 8/28 @ noon-6PM
It’s too easy to forget to plant your garlic because, unlike most crops, it’s planted well into the fall: late October or even November. Luckily, we have the annual Garlic Festival at Shaker Square to remind us that it’s time to stock up on seed garlic for planting — and to help us enjoy the benefits and pleasures of this aromatic plant.
Every year the festival features a Miss Garlic, a special garlic ice cream from Mitchell’s, the Mighty Locavores kids’ area, Top Chef Grill Offs, live music, food and drink vendors, and of course numerous farmers selling more than a dozen varieties of garlic, both mild and spicy, for eating and planting.
Kids can enjoy shows by Jungle Bob, Jungle Terry, and Flower Clown, an inflatable obstacle course, a pedal tractor maze, and a “Taste the Season” watermelon game. Adults … oh wait, we forgot: yes, there WILL be face painting!
Anyway, adults can enjoy music on two stages, by popular local acts such as Cats on Holiday, the JiMiller Band and Mo’Mojo on Saturday, Fatback Mango, On the One Band and Xcetera, as well as the Wind and Sand Belly Dancer Troupe on both days. The chef Grill Offs will feature numerous categories for different ingredients — beef, chicken, pork and vegetables — “and garlic.” Lisa Sands of the CLE Foodcast emcees.
And the event is a benefit for the nonprofit North Union Farmers Market, which jumpstarted the growth of farmers markets in northeast Ohio. Get tickets here.