Stratford Kiwanis Garlic Festival returning to Rotary complex after pandemic pause

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Garlic growers, sellers, artisans, chefs and lovers will descend on the Stratford Rotary Complex this weekend as the Stratford Kiwanis Garlic Festival returns following a two-year pandemic pause.

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A longtime fundraiser held in support of the Kiwanis Club of Stratford’s community projects and initiatives, the garlic festival will be held in the Rotary Complex’s community hall Sept. 10 and 11 and will feature, as it has in years past, the Ontario garlic and artisan market with garlic vendors from across the province offering fresh garlic by the bulb, bag, braid, bundle or variety pack.

Vendors will also offer products featuring garlic that has been dried or powdered and used to flavour spreads, jams, jellies, pickles and sauces, while other vendors will be onsite selling olive oil, handcrafted items, eco-friendly plant food, bison meat, jewellery, lavender, organic vegetables and preserves.

“We’re just thrilled to be able to host it again because it’s one of our big fundraisers and we want to help the garlic growers get back (to normal) too after (the pandemic),” local Kiwanis club president-elect Tom Edge said. “This is going to be a building year, I think, for us and we’re just excited to be able to offer it again because it’s the local garlic growers who benefit from it.

“That’s the whole reason we even started it. We wanted to help stem the tide of overseas garlic that seems to flow in and help maintain the garlic industry here in North America.”

Again this year, wine and spirit vendors will be offering samples of their products for an additional cost and they will be partnering with artisanal cheese, honey and pastry makers to offer ticketed tasting and pairing presentations on Saturday only.

“We’ve expanded it this year and there’s a full range of tastings and pairings going on,” Edge said. “There’s going to be some interesting pairings and we’re happy to bring that back again this year.”

At $10 per ticket, the pairing presentations will include a discussion on the basic principles of pairing wine with food with accredited sommelier Bob Latham and Stratford Chefs School alumnus Frances Latham, a spirit-and-cheese-pairing demonstration with Stratford’s Junction 56 Distillery and Perth South’s Stonetown Artisan Cheese, a wine, cheese and butter pairing showcase with Vanastra’s Maelstrom Winery and Perth East’s Millbank Cheese & Butter, and more.

For a full schedule of the pairing presentations and to purchase tickets, visit stratfordgarlicfestival.com/schedule/#rdv-calendar.

Those in attendance on Sunday will also have the opportunity to enjoy cooking demonstrations with chefs Kris Schlotzhauer of AO Pasta and Eli Silverthorne of the Stratford Chefs School, and educational forums with Brant County Garlic Company’s Bob Romaniuk and Boars Head Farms’ Lorraine Irwin.

Guitarist Rick Francis will be performing from his repertoire of smooth jazz, folk and soft rock on the Café Stage all weekend, while local Kiwanis members will be selling garlic sausages at the Kiwanis Café with all the proceeds going back to the club. Attendees will also have the chance to bid on items donated by vendors, local businesses and individuals at the silent auction.

In the past, the money raised through the Garlic Festival has gone to support the construction of the new playground at Hamlet Public School, the Kiwanis Festival of the Performing Arts, the Kiwanis-CJCS Christmas Baskets program and the Aktion Club, a service club for adults with disabilities.

Adult admission to the garlic festival is $10 per day or $15 for a two-day pass, while children under 12 can get in for free. Two adults will will be admitted for the price of one after 2:30 p.m. on either day. Free parking is available on site.

For a full listing of vendors, presentations and tastings, visit stratfordgarlicfestival.com.

gsimmons@postmedia.com