Hudson Valley Garlic Festival

The festival was good, time spent waiting in line to enter after purchasing tickets online was ridiculous. When you pre-purchase tickets online you assume that your entry will be quick or at least reasonably quick rather than for the people who didn’t prepay. This was a poorly organized entrance. They had two lines. No one, knowing whether there was a line for pre-purchase tickets or for those who needed to buy them at the event.. waited in line for an extremely long time when we arrived at the ticket window the woman asked me how many tickets, I said I purchased them online she again said how many tickets, then clarified, did you purchase I said 2, she then gave me two paper tickets. We then walked through into the event and a woman took our two paper tickets. They really should have a line for pre-purchase tickets so people don’t have to wait in line with those who did not purchase them in advance. Event was Extremely crowded the lines to purchase were quite long, Traffic going in and leaving the event took about half hour either way. I’ve been going for a number of years, This is the first year I’ve been disappointed with the event because of the long wait times. The event used to be so enjoyable, but this time I couldn’t wait to leave and did not even finish exploring vendors. Dar

If you love to eat garlic or want to try growing your own, then this annual fest is for you! Think of it as a garlic themed farmers market. Lots of foods to try, crafts to peruse, and seed garlic to consider planting. It’s a popular fest, so go early or later in the day for minimal traffic headaches.

I go to the garlic festival pretty much every year. Go down, buy some garlic. Some shallots but there's a couple places I really enjoy going to one is getting some kimchi 🙂 And Gary's pickles. I think he has one of the best pickles in the Hudson valley, plus the different food places, the entertainment as well as the people and this year they added a beer garden which is really nice 🙂

So many things to see and so many free samples! Live music, vendors, and so much food! You’ll find things here you won’t see elsewhere!

THE BEST!! Bring cash as the Internet is sketchy for some merchants. But bring lotsa cash!!! It's so delicious and sooo much to carouse and see! I've gone EVERY year since the third festival way back when!! No Pets... It's too crowded for them, seriously.

This is the best festival every year!! They have garlic everything: pickles, chocolate, bread, pesto, pasta, lemonade, beef jerkey, humus, kielbasa, hot sauce, rubs, honey, peanut butter, nuts, chips, kimchi, clothes, jewelry, furniture, and obviously every variety of freshly picked garlic. Can't wait until next year.

We heard about this festival a few years back from a friend and every time we’re ready to go, something pops up. This time determination prevailed :) We departed late for a 2 + hour trip… as we got into town, we opted to ignore googles turn suggestions and follow the Garlic Festival signs which led us straight to a closed road. My advice, listen to google map’s directions… because google knows! Lol. I noticed there were three entry points to the festival and we were lucky enough to find parking on a residential street just outside one of them. This was our first time here, the size of this festival was impressive and the venders were very interactive and friendly with the people. Samples (try before you buy) was a great idea. Bring your own plastic utensils, some of the vendors had already run out for tastings. Sleep deprived and arriving close to closing time, we just ambulated from one vender to another having casual conversations. I met Frank and Brian, two farmers sharing a booth where I first learned about black garlic, a product derived from aging regular garlic bulbs over the course of weeks or months, a process called the Maillard reaction, the one I tasted was like molasses with hints of cocoa and licorice. I’ve already swapped out fresh garlic with roasted garlic in my soups… this could be the beginning of new creative recipes :) I was seeking Rocambole to plant a different variety from the ones I’ve planted in past years and Brian recommended the Heirloom GSF 65 (Garlic Seed Foundation “Temptess Rocambole”) With dark reddish brown cloves, and speckles of purple on the skin of the bulb. We moved on to another vender where we found a variety of flavored honey, they were out of plastic spoons so I can’t give you any feedback on their product. Moved on to Phelps Woodside Farm who has his own bee farm, his bees process nectar from wood trees and his light honey has a hint of maple. Venders traveled from near and far to set up at this festival. There were ample garlic themed food stands and creative crafts going on here, some of the handmade crafts inspired my inner creativity to start up again. There are two types of garlic, the stiff neck and soft neck. The stiff neck (aka hard neck) sub ophioscorodon has a stem growing in the center of the bulb that grows scapes (consists bulbils). Moving on to the last table (prior to farmers commencement of packing up) where discussions took place about porcelain garlic vs rocambole and I was told most of them are selections of only a handful of basic types that have been grown widely and developed their own characteristics over the centuries as local growing conditions changed. The person who made an impression on me the most was Tom, from Holmsquest Farms and Greenhouse. With 4 generations of farming and over 500 acres, his large German white and red garlic bulbs were being offered at the best price there. (Allium sativum subs. ophioscorodon Big Porcelain bulbs typically yield four to eight huge cloves; Favored by growers for its hardiness range, this is a dependable producer even in poorer conditions. White outer skin, red inner skins. Hardy plants, hearty flavor, excellent storage. Also known as German Stiffneck and German White.) he had a small stock of black garlic, cipollini , shallots, red and white onions on display and invited us to come and visit if we’re ever in the area as he handed us his card. *Garlic is in the allium sativa family also related to daffodils and orchids, and is considered one of the closest relatives of onions, a widely used vegetable that has a pungent smell and flavor as well. Note: If you slice open your garlic clove and notice that there is a green stem inside, this indicates that your garlic is sprouting and past its prime. We had a lot of fun, met new and interesting people and will be looking forward to next year’s festival :)

I absolutely love this Festival and drive an hour every year to come here. If you love garlic, you will absolutely love this. I have been to other local garlic festivals, but none of them as large as this one. As you exit your car you can smell the aroma of garlic everywhere. There are many vendors selling more types of garlic than I ever thought existed. There is also a kids area where children can paint pumpkins and have their face's painted. The food vendors sell absolutely everything with garlic. I'm not talking garlic powder, I'm talking big globs of raw & cooked garlic, YUM! There's also a section of the festival where people sell arts and crafts goods. I have found some great Christmas gifts in this section. It is definitely well worth the drive to Saugerties.9

I think this was a pretty good experience for a fair. Overall I had a good time and walked away with a bunch of purchases, but I don't know that it would be worth $15 for me to go again next year. The festival felt very much like any of the NYC street fairs (that are free to attend) - except for the focus on garlic-related products. This was my first time so it was a learning experience. I knew it would be hot, so I wore a hat and had a hand-held, battery powered fan on me. There was one stall selling bottle water for $1, and another stall selling bottled water for $4. I'd bring my own water bottle next time just to be safe. I wish I had known to bring a larger bag of some sort, especially an insulated one with maybe an ice pack. There were a couple of dip/sauce vendors I wanted to buy from, but I didn't want to risk the product going bad while I was walking around for the next two hours in 90 degree sun. I saw some folks really prepare by bringing a wagon - not a bad Idea as the products get bulky/heavy. Most of the lines were reasonable. I don't regret any of the shorter lines I got on. There was a good variety of food vendors, and a good section of craft/goods vendors as well (not all related to garlic). I opted for the free parking, which was a 5 minute walk from one of the entrances. There was a large line at opening on Sunday, but it went really quickly and by the time I walked to the gate, the line had dispersed.

I finally made it to Garlic Fest this year and it was very hot and very crowded. It took about half an hour to get to the on-site parking ($10 for parking), but getting into the festival from the parking lot was quick if you pre-ordered tickets online. My group arrived probably at the height of the event (Saturday - noonish) and there was a long line at every food vendor. The festival was much larger than expected and we were there for a good 3 hours. There is live music scattered around the venue and lots of samples from the vendors. You can probably go through the festival within an hour when the crowd is more manageable (very early or later in the day).

They do such a fantastic job with this festival. I go every year. I should have taken my own advice and brought something to shade myself with. It was a whopping 91°. The vendors are in their same spot as they were the previous years so I was able to go and get everything that I love, especially the garlic ice cream! It is still $10 to park! It is $15 to get in! They have a credit card option now for entry too. Everything garlic! Fun fall day.

Food: 3 Entry fee: $15 Service: 5 Crowd: Full Date/Time: 9/28/2024 2pm This was an interesting festival set up basically like a state fair with vendor food, music and small businesses displaying and selling their products (mostly garlic-related of course). The biggest surprise was how efficient they ran the parking. For $10, you could wait in a long line to park "on site" near the entrance. For no cost, you could bypass the line to a shorter one and park "off site" about 1/4 mile from the entrance and either walk or ride a bus to the entrance. Buses seemed to show up within minutes of each other. At the entrance, it wasn't obvious but 2 lines formed with one accepting cash only and another credit cards. Once inside the entrance, all the businesses were lined up in both sides. Some selling just garlic strips and others selling various products containing garlic. Thee were also specialty products not related to garlic like elixirs containing ginger, turmeric, etc which were really tasty. The food was basic state fair level both in taste and offerings. You can stick with safe chicken or bbq, or you can go for daring with garlic ice cream and things I put out of my mind as soon as I read the title! Overall it was an interesting place to go and worth the price (if you stick to the free off site parking). Definitely recommend it at least once.

Awesome day. Definitely have to try it once if you're in the area. Good. Fun. Music. Vendors. Garlic.

Garlic garlic garlic! If you don't love garlic, we simply cannot be friends. My boyfriend and our two friends took the 2.5 hour drive to Hudson Valley to indulge in all things garlic. Tickets were only $10 or $7 if you paid in advance. As soon as we arrived we were immersed in garlic! Think going to Hershey..the closer you get the more chocolate you smell...but garlic instead! We had garlic in so many different forms....raw, roasted, fried, cheese, chocolate chip cookies, hot sauce, ice cream, potatoes, sausage, corn, hot dog, hamburger, pickles, pasta, soup, shrimp, knots..etc! You name it...it was there! There's a ton of samples from the vendors as well. Prices at the vendor booths varied, but were reasonable. Come hungry...especially if you plan on sampling various different offerings.

Today's festival more crowded and expensive as ever! Admission gates still are cash only and this day and age should include credit and debit cards! We all know?there's a fee for the courtesy but this festival is now big enough to absorb it or pass it on via ticket costs. Also too bad no military discounts, especially for such a pro military town ): Even a buck off would help! Paying full price (and cash only) on event day just seems wrong and has room for improvement. Just sad to have the people at admissions gates telling people how they have to leave to go to an ATM machine only to go through all the parking and bus shuttles AGAIN!.(And with children it feels sooo dissapointing) What once was a great home town feeling festival now feels too greedy for me to return to next year.....without some positive changes.

This was my first time at this festival. I will admit, my wife wanted to go and I was not really enthusiastic about it. Saugerties is an old NY town and has the true old town charm. The festival was much bigger than I expected and much nicer. I was amazed at all the garlic, and garlic products. Garlic Ice cream? Garlic fudge? Garlic soup? And who knew there was so many different garlics. Clean and spaced out nicely and really pleasant vendors. Samples are limited due to covid but were available in most places. I was really impressed and happy I went there. I had a great time

Wikipedia says there are two major subspecies of garlic, divided into ten major groups, further broken down into "hundreds of varieties". . I didn't count how many different types I saw yesterday, but I sure saw a boatload of garlic. White, purple, green, black, round, oval, thin, gigantic, big, small... get the picture? The Hudson Valley Garlic Festival traces its origin to 1989 as a promotional event organized by a single garlic farmer when Pat Reppert (now known as the Garlic Queen) hosted about one hundred guests to promote her new business. Today, the festival draws 50,000 guests over a weekend. We really enjoyed the festival. Over fifty Garlic farmers sold their Noah's Ark-like selections of garlic, seven bands performed on five stages, plus roving dancers and puppeteers, lecturers (how to store garlic) and cooking demonstrations (garlic guacamole) under the tent, hundreds of vendor booths, scores of food vendors, a climbing wall, and a craft area for the kiddies. The food choices definitely had a garlic theme - as I saw signs hawking garlic pulled pork sandwiches, garlic poutine (served with a Canadian flag), garlic ice cream and gelato, garlic knot rolls, garlic roast pork, garlic plantain slices, garlic breads and focaccias, garlic chocolate bars, garlic jams and spreads, garlic relish on your burgers, garlic rice balls, garlic french fries, garlic popcorn, garlic corn on the cob, and garlic shrimp. The grounds are very nice, with lots of paved walkways in case of muddy inclement weather. The festival is big, but not massive, so you can really walk around and see everything in 4 hours or so. And if you get tired, you can plop yourself down on one of the many hay bale benches and hear some music -remember there are 5 stages sprinkled around the grounds. We had a great time.

Gathering garlic lovers all around is the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties, NY. Here you can grab the many different varieties of garlic from the local farmers. Each variety ranges from heat level and after taste when eaten raw. Some of the types of garlic you can choose from are purple stripe, porcelain, rocambole, hardneck, silverskin, artichoke, creole, German red and many others. Most of the garlic farmer vendors have chopped up pieces of the garlic for attendees to the festival to sample before making their purchase. Also if you need to know more information about the garlic, the farmers are gladly happy to answer your questions. My new favorite variety of garlic I found at the festival is Obis One's black garlic. I have heard of black garlic a while back ago, but could never really find it in a local supermarket. The black garlic is aged and fermented raw garlic that has black cloves. It has a molasses-like sweet and savory flavor profile. The garlic is soft like dried fruit and is great to use in recipes. Obis' garlic is organic and all natural without any additives. In addition to the garlic you can purchase from the farmers, there are also food and business vendors using garlic in their menus and products. There are the usual foods such as garlic wings, garlic "nots," garlic fries and many meats marinated in garlic. However in a festival such as this, I believe it is best to try the food items that would seem odd to find garlic as an ingredient. In this instance that happens to be mostly the dessert items. Here are a few things at the festival I recommend trying: Garlic Ice Cream (Guido's Frozen Desserts): Yes that is correct...garlic in ice cream. Although an odd combination, it is creamy and has a subtle garlic flavor mixed in a vanilla base. You can see the tiny pieces of minced garlic in the ice cream. In addition to garlic ice cream, Guido's also serves Italian ices and lemonade. Roasted Garlic Caramels (Oliver Kita Chocolates): Oliver Kita Chocolates offers roasted garlic caramels that give a sweet and smooth garlic caramel covered in dark chocolate and topped with sea salt. The garlic in the caramel is present, but is overpowered by the dark chocolate. They also sell other bon bons and other chocolate products. Garlic Fudge (Udder Ideas Fudge): Just opening the package of fudge there is no question that garlic is present as the strong aroma hits your nose. Do not let that stop you from trying the fudge. The garlic taste is softened by the creaminess of the milky fudge base. If the garlic fudge does not fancy you, Udder Ideas Fudge has twenty-five other homemade fudge flavors without garlic you can choose from. If you are unsure of what to purchase, the vendor does provide sample tastes. For those interested in the culinary side of garlic, there are lectures and cooking demonstrations throughout the day. There is also entertainment at each of the performance stages.

My second year coming to this festival. All the way from NYC and I LOVE it!! There are tens of different garlic varieties and I didn't know it till I came here. Taste, smell and enjoy food prepared with garlic, more garlic! Come, support local growers, farmers and have fun doing that! See you next year!!

It's the 2nd largest garlic festival in the US. Tons of stalls, tons of people but certainly not too crowded on our visit on day 2. It's cheap in but everything is expensive when you are in. But it's kind of worth it. I would plan on spending 2 hours here because after that it gets too much, unless you have kids. They had more things for kids there. I bought some heirloom garlics so I'm excited about cooking with them.

This was my first year going and I will definitely be back next year (car permitting)! I had such an amazing time despite only having an hour (see my budget car rental review). The vendors were lovely and very fair and everyone just had such a pleasant disposition. Maybe I've been in NYC too long lol. There was a kids tent which was nice and a good break for those who want to just hang back for a moment. Unfortunately, I got there there late so i could not see all the festivities but the kids enjoyed what little time we had. Tips: Go early, there is a lot to do There is FREE parking that seems to be closer than the paid parking Must Try: Garlic Hot sauce Vendor who has homemade seasoning packets Apple Cider Garlic Donuts See you next year!

SCAM ALERT! YOU GOTTA TO BE KIDDING! What a rip off! You pay $10 for parking $10 each for entry, then you PAY AGAIN! to buy over priced stuff. You pay to get in to pay again. Its a scam. I was down $50 in 10 min for 2 doughy tasteless garlic ricotta ( one of garlic and a spot of cheese). There is nothing worth the drive and entry fee here NOTHING. You can find any of this stuff at local farmer markets! Way over priced...its horrible!

This has become my favorite local Hudson Valley festival. With a wide variety of crafts, local food vendors, and farmers/food makers, this one has it all. Located in a small town north of Kingston (Saugerties), it's held once a year at the end of Septemver or early October It's definitely grown in the 3 years I've been going and this year seemed to be bigger than the last. Whether you're a garlic fan or not, there's sure to be something for everyone. If you are a garlic fan, you'll be that much more enamored by this place. Plenty of local garlic growers on hand to share their products with you, and most food vendors will have a garlic option to accompany what they are selling (Garlic pulled pork sandwiches, deep fried garlic bites, garlic seasoned hamburgers, etc). If you're adventurous enough, you can try vanilla ice cream with chunks of garlic scattered throughout - It's tolerable for a few bites, but after that... not so much. My favorite aspect are the craft food items - local hot sauce makers, cheese producers, etc. with plenty to sample. Most stands will accept credit cards, but not all so make sure to bring some cash (ATM's are on site). Many sellers are local and will provide you with their cards so that you can purchase more later or contact them with questions. Plenty of parking across the street at the local high school (free) or park a little closer for a fee. Admission is 7 each in advance and 10 at the door

Over hyped, expensive and crowded. When we heard about this festival, we were very excited being big foodies and garlic lovers. The crowd was immense and there are a lot of vendors that had absolutely nothing to do with garlic. The good was expensive - $5 for fried dough, $5 dollars for a lemonade, $3 for garlic butter popcorn that was chewy, etc. Some vendors weren't prepared for the crowds. After waiting 10 minutes in line to try garlic gelato, I was told they were out, but would happily sell me vanilla or nutella flavor. They should have put up signs that they were out so I didn't have to wait 10 minutes to find out. It's an especially difficult festival if you have kids with you. Lots of walking, and not too many areas to relax and sit.

I had the time of my life here. Friends told me about the garlic fest in the Poconos a few weeks prior and I knew I had to go. We live pretty far away in Staten Island and it took about 90 minutes to get here and so worth it. First it's an extremely reasonable entry fee and ate like kings. Next you walk down what seems like endless booths of garlic inspired merchandise and you get to sample most of it. I'm a sucker and bought myself some garlic chocolate chip cookies to bring home, not my favorite thing I ate all day but I've had worse. I was heart broken when I was told they were sold out of the chocolate covered garlic cloves. There's always next year. I had garlic sausage, garlic poutine wowza, garlic ice cream and so much more. The live music is great especially the blue grass band Annie and the Hedonists. I can't wait till next year, I hope I can get more people to come with me.

The real deal! Simply the best. All garlic everything, every booth - this is a requirement of every exhibitor present at the event! Booths range from garlic themed jewelry or clothing, to garlic ice cream, cheese, produce/farms, oils, pestos/condiments, kettle corn, to typical food booths which all feature at least one garlic option! If you like garlic, it's the place to be.

I have lived in Saugerties for over 20 years, Not only did we support the garlic festival. We built the beautiful metal fencing around Seamons Park !! We showed at the show for years www.gingerbluedecor.com. I have a horrible kidney disease and the last application my husband sent in while I was in albany Med for 2 weeks. He missed putting in the check.. As soon as he was contacted. He sent it right in. However, we were kicked out of their show. I begged for them to reconsider. The show was really important to us. My medical costs beyond our 1800 monthly health insurance has hurt us . Plus I have not been able to work daily.Dr Richard Kaplan and Jeanne Sutton absolutely refused.. There should be a change in management of the show. I am not the only vendor that has been mistreated. I have shown at events for over 35 years and we are very good to our customers and promoters. We have never been treated with no concern for real life situations. Finally The Country Living Magazine Fair has started a amazing fair in Rhinebeck NY. To be involved with such a prestigious is such an honor. The promotors Michelle Oswalt of Stella Promotions has always treated us with kindness. Her family has always been so supportive and understanding of my health. We are good people. Hard workers Just trying to make a living in a town with a lot of politics. Not a lot of heart.

Always a lot of fun. And yummy foods Garlic ice cream garlic cookies garlic garlic garlic

3rd year in a row, and this festival hasn't disappointed. This was it's 25th year, and word has gotten out. It was packed. We did arrive a bit later than usual, so that might account for some of it. Either way, we love it. We are huge garlic fans, so the food and the fresh garlic are huge draws, but they also have tons of crafts, and specialty food items. If you like garlic, this is the palce for you.

It's cold . they miss direct you with their signs, drop you just as you turn. Their crowd control is poor. So far the most of the help seems nice. The people in line are rude . pushy can't even get a excuse me. The numbers for the space that the vender's have are not posted at most of them.

AWESOME!!! One of the best festivals I've ever been to. I live in central MA (three hours away); relatives live in Saugerties so that's how I found out about it. Been trying to get there the past couple of years without success. Third time was the charm. There's a little something there for everyone--from all kinds of crafts, clothing, music, puppet show, food; and especially GARLIC, GARLIC, GARLIC!!! The weather was perfect this year. We didn't get it all in the first day, so we went again on the second day--and it was just as good. And yes, I tried both the garlic gelato and the garlic ice cream--although I prefer the gelato, my niece likes the ice cream better--it's all a matter of taste. Get there when it opens and you'll be able to maneuver without crowds; however, as many people as were there later in the day, it never was unbearable. Lines were'nt too long anywhere. Plenty of parking, relief stations (port-a-potties), vendors, etc. Gotta hand it to 'em, they did a great job with this festival.

food was great , crowded but what do you expect ! very worth it to go and experience ! so many things with garlic it's awesome ! definitely stop at the buddhapesto booth, best pesto ever!