Garlic Fest is having its 26th annual celebration of garlic at the Wellington Amphitheater. [Photo by South Florida Garlic Fest]
The 26th South Florida Garlic Fest is flowering at Wellington Amphitheater on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 1 and 2.
Executive Director Nancy Stewart began “The Best Stinkin’ Party in South Florida” in 1999 and considers it her baby. The event has won hundreds of state and international awards, but she says she doesn’t do it for the recognition.
“Opening the door, letting people in, launching the event has always been my favorite,” Stewart says. “To see the people coming and wondering where they came from, how they got my information and how they heard about us, it’s always my favorite. That and the music.”
Garlic Fest attendees wait in line for garlic flavored food and drink.
The festival serves as a fundraiser for small local nonprofits. Those organizations staff the event and receive percentages of proceeds based on the hours worked and the number of volunteers.
“It’s pretty rewarding to be able to be a major fundraiser for some of these small organizations because many of them aren’t large enough to apply for grants or scholarships or anything like that,” Stewart says. “We’ve given back about $700,000 over the 26 years to these small organizations.”
She does see some downsides to a business she says she got into by mistake. “I wish I knew that my livelihood was dependent on the weather. It’s not for the faint-hearted, and it’s probably the hardest you’ll work for the least amount of money.”
For those attending, however, Stewart advises to “come hungry and bring your breath mints.”
The festival opens at 11 a.m. both days. It closes at 9 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.
The schedule:
Saturday
Noon — Roasted Garlic Three Ways With Christopher Ranch Garlic, Elephant Garlic and Black Garlic
1 p.m. — Pero Farms Chef Scott Seddon Culinary Demonstration
2 p.m. — Story Time With Mr. Garlic, Kids’ Area
3 p.m. — Vigoa Cuisine — Chimichurri on Everything
4 p.m. — Properly Peel Your Garlic
4:30 p.m. — Pero Farms Pepper Hummus
5 p.m. — Perfect Pesto Every Time
5:30 p.m. — Garlic Bruschetta
6 p.m. — Garlic Shrimp
Sunday
1 p.m. — Roasted Garlic Three Ways With Christopher Ranch Garlic, Elephant Garlic and Black Garlic
2 p.m. — Story Time With Mr. Garlic, Music, Baby Garlic Coloring Book
3 p.m. — Properly Peel Your Garlic
3:15 p.m. — Pero Pepper Hummus (Joanie)
4 p.m. — Perfect Pesto Every time (Joanie)
4:15 p.m. — Garlic Bruschetta
Information on the musical lineup, the menu and more can be found at garlicfestfl.com, where tickets can be bought for $15.
