A stinkin’ good time at Bennington’s Garlic Town USA
By Tory Rich, Bennington Banner correspondent - Sep 4, 2022
The area’s biggest event of the year went off without a hitch, as the neighborhood just south of Bennington’s “Four Corners” on Main Street was transformed into Garlic Town U.S.A. from Saturday morning into the early evening hours.
The Garlic Town website quipped that vampires were prohibited from the premises. But between the various garlic-infused products and sunshine that persisted all day, vampires were likely one of the few uninterested demographics. There was something for everyone else, as various vendors, food trucks and entertainers from the tri-state region converged on Bennington for the festival.
With over 100 vendors needing space to set up their tents, one site wasn’t enough to hold Garlic Town U.S.A. Instead, the celebration was split up into two separate pods, cleverly referred to as “cloves.” Clove A was tucked between Sunny Side Diner and Bennington Performing Arts Center, and Clove B was just down Depot Street across from the Bennington Firehouse.
Vendors in attendance ran the gamut from artisans and jewelers to wineries and distilleries. But make no mistake about it — the pungent guest of honor was a pervasive theme at many tents. Garlic candy, garlic beer, garlic bulbs, minced garlic, dried garlic — if you’ve seen “Forrest Gump,” just picture Bubba describing all the different ways you can use shrimp.