Garlic Town, USA To Return To Bennington Labor Day Weekend
On Monday night at the Bennington Select Board meeting the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced that they would be bringing their annual “Garlic Fest” to downtown Bennington this Labor Day Weekend as “Garlic Town, USA.”
On Saturday, September 4th Bennington, Vermont will transform into “Garlic Town, USA” once again in celebration of all things garlic and agriculture!
Bennington has become world-renowned for its annual Garlic and Herb Festival held every year on Labor Day weekend. Two years ago, the festival saw crowds of over 16,000 patrons and 200 garlic-themed vendors. The Garlic and Herb Festival has been recognized as one of the top 10 garlic festivals in the world, featured in Yankee Magazine and recently was awarded Vermont’s Time-Honored Top 10 Fall Event.
Due to the COVID pandemic and Vermont restrictions on festivals, the 25th annual “Garlicfest,” in 2020 was canceled in early summer and the Chamber pivoted to a different model of the event in a rebranded, “Garlic Town, USA” event in downtown Bennington. The event saw some 3,000 residents and travelers safely enjoy Sidewalk Sales, restaurant specials and bands, hay wagon rides, and multiple “Cloves” or pockets of garlic growing vendors sprinkled throughout the town. Additionally, last year saw the inaugural Garlic Bulb River Derby where the chamber threw over 100 numbered plastic garlic bulbs down the Walloomsac River.
“Garlic Fest is an iconic event in Bennington and all of Vermont,” says Matt Harrington, executive director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce which produces the festival. “It is a mixture of community building and economic growth as many of our hotels, restaurants and merchants benefit from the large event and large crowds. We like to think of it as one last great social outing for the summer and a welcome to fall and the harvest season here in Vermont. Based on last year’s success with Garlic Town, USA and still feeling like patrons will be cautious as they begin to get back to normal, we decided to move forward with another Garlic Town event.”
In coordination with the Town of Bennington and the Better Bennington Corporation, Bennington’s downtown program, “Garlic Town, USA” celebrates produce vendors, craft, artisans, and the spirit of Garlic Fest throughout downtown Bennington.
Most of the event will be open to the public. The small shops of Bennington’s downtown will have sidewalk sales, area non-profits will provide music and kids’ activities, and the restaurants are encouraged to provide some outside entertainment as well.
The “Cloves” will return too. This time, the Garlic Town committee is promising over 100 vendors in four to five Cloves throughout downtown creating “mini-Garlic Fests'' all around. Cloves will include the original garlic growers of some of the first Garlic Fests, as well as arts and craft vendors and a variety of food trucks and dessert carts.
In order for the public to enter the Cloves, there is a cost. Any individual can purchase an “All-Access Pass” starting at $12 online at www.GarlicTownUSA.com today. This pass will get patrons into all the exclusive Cloves. Families can purchase an “All-Access Family Pass” for $25-30 which includes two adult tickets and unlimited children. Anyone without a ticket will not be able to enter the Cloves. Interested ticket purchasers are encouraged to stay tuned and check on the website for deals throughout the summer. The online tickets will also be available the day of the event on September 4th.
“Last year, we scaled the Garlic Fest event way down and created a small community event in Garlic Town, USA making it free for all people to help with morale during COVID. This year, as Garlic Fest was the largest fundraiser for the Chamber and to bring up the scale of Garlic Town, we needed to put a price on tickets,” states Harrington. “Again, let me encourage residents and travelers, downtown Bennington will be open and free to attend many events that day. However, to get into the Cloves and to handle the management and operation of those Cloves, we are charging a nominal fee.”
The Garlic Town, USA committee has been working with officials at the Vermont Department of Health and the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in preparation for this event. “We are trying to provide an event that people feel comfortable and safe to get back into social settings,” states Harrington. “At every step of this new event, safety was top of mind. The committee leaders around the table were extremely sensitive about how to do this fun event while the COVID pandemic subsides. We will have volunteers at every Clove and public gathering spots armed with PPE for patrons, and hand sanitizer. Mainly, we just want people to have fun and get back to normal!”
Leading up to the week, area restaurants and dining establishments will be featuring various garlic-themed dishes for patrons at a special Garlic Restaurant Week in celebration of garlic and harvest produce. See the website for participating restaurants and their specials.
A map of all the cloves and various events throughout downtown will be featured on a handout provided at www.GarlicTownUSA.com and also available at the various Clove locations. Ticket holders are encouraged to pick up a map and try to get to every Clove throughout the day.
Current sponsors for this event include: The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Better Bennington Corporation, Town of Bennington, Shires Young Professionals, The Bank of Bennington, and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.
For more information on the event, visit: www.garlictownusa.com
