2009 Stratford Garlic Festival

Zana · September 9, 2009

Saturday September 12, 2009
Open 9am-4pm
at the old Stratford Fairgrounds (20 Glastonbury Drive, Stratford, Ontario, CANADA)

featuring....

Elizabeth Baird, (Editor, Canadian Living)
Rose Murray, (Chef and Author)
Ted Maczka, (The Fish Lake Garlic Man)
Eli Ham, (Stratford Shakespearean Festival Actor)
Sara Bradford, (RHN)
and lots more....

plus a number of renown chefs and garlic experts!

www.stratfordgarlicfestival.com

Presented by the Kiwanis Club of Stratford, Ontario, CANADA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are supposed to be info / seminars on growing, cooking, vendors, artisans and of course, eating (taste testing) different varieties. Plus musical entertainment. And did mention food samples????

Especially interesting:

"To be Garlic ...or not to be Garlic?" a presentation on Shakespear and Garlic by Stratford Shakespearean Festival Actor, Eli Ham.

"The History of Garlic" by Bob Litke, Heirloom Garlic Grower and Expert, Professor of Philosophy, University of Waterloo

"All Tied Up" a garlic braiding demonstration by Al Cowan of Arranhill Garlic Farm.

I'm planning on spending the better part of the day there! Yummmmmm....I promise not to breathe on anybody when I come home....ok....maybe just not too hard. LOL

Zana

**mdvpc** · September 9, 2009

Wish I was in your neck of the woods to go-sounds great.

user10 · September 9, 2009

Shakespeare,.....Garlic,....
It sounds fun :-)

remy · September 9, 2009

Sounds like fun! I will be at the Niagara Falls Blues Festival(American side) though. My father has me being the hospitality coordinator for the entertainment. I got bumped up from t-shirt vendor to a higher position after his girlfriend and him attended the tomato party.

Remy

stormymater · September 9, 2009

what an awesome combo! Wish we had known about it to be able to get AFFORDABLE airline tickets b/c we'd be all over it!

Zana · September 10, 2009

Cheapest way is to fly into Buffalo and then drive from there. About 2 hours or so depending upon traffic and construction.....and speed traps from the border. Unless you want to drive up. But remember the exchange is in your favour. You should get about 1.10 Canadian for every US dollar right now. So that would help.

This will be their 3rd or 4th year. And its been growing steadily each year. Can't wait.

stormymater · September 10, 2009

Do they have a website or a linkee you know of?

Zana · September 10, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormymater

Do they have a website or a linkee you know of?

www.stratfordgarlicfestival.com

salix · September 10, 2009

Ooohh! If I was only several thousand miles closer... Garlic, AND Hamlet - gotta be a great combo. Sounds like a fun event, hope you have a wonderful time.

Zana · September 10, 2009

www.stratfordfestival.ca

Saturday's playbill at the four different stages at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival are:

Julius Caesar 2pm Avon Theatre (traditional proscenium arch stage) Ben Carlson, Geraint Wyn Davies
West Side Story 2pm Festival Theatre (Thrust Stage) with Paul Nolan and Chilina Kennedy
Three Sisters 2pm Tom Patterson Theatre (In 3/4 Round) with Dalal Badr, Irene Poole and
Lucy Peacock
Zastrozzi 2pm Studio Theatre (In 3/4 Round) with Rick Roberts

Cyranno de Bergerac 8pm Festival Theatre (Traditional Thrust Stage) with Com Feore in the starring role
Trespassers 8pm Studio Theatre (In 3/4 Round) with Joseph Ziegler, Lucy Peacock and Noah Reid

I do believe I'm going to try to snag some tix for Cyranno. Anything with Colm Feore is bound to be superb!

Zana · September 12, 2009

Just got back from Stratford and the Garlic Festival. Spent the better part of a the day there - either working it for the Kiwanis Club or touring the booths and watching some of the presentations. I'm not sure I want to total up what I spent.

And then there were the garlic shooters - shots of garlic and water or juice...not quite sure, but dang those got addictive...hehehe...but have to be careful who I breathe on for the rest of the day. LOL

Got some great jellies, jams, sauces, salsas, garlic teas yes I did say Garlic Tea, and some indian spices (whole spices - consisting of cinnamon bark, cloves, green cardamon pods, star anise and black peppercorn; chai masala, tandoori masala and curry masala).

Since it started off overcast and cool, yours truly took a chance and wore a tshirt....but forgot the sunscreen. Ha! I'm no a lovely shade of pink after standing doing parking lot duty for 3 hours. I believe my aloe plant is going to get carved up a bit tonight.

I also got garlic seed for quite a few varieties. Finally hooked up with Bob Litke whom I've been here about from another lady I know who has just gotten into heirloom tomatoes. It was quite amusing since when I asked him if he knew Barbara F...he said your name doesn't start with a "Z" does it??? LOL So we've decided to do some trading as he really wants to get into growing more heirloom tomatoes and I'd like to try growing some garlic. He's got a huge collection, so we're going to arrange to meet up soon.

So all in all definitely was worth it. I think the other over 3500 people that went most likely thought so too! This was only their 3rd year doing it....and there will definitely be a 4th....only bigger by the sounds of it. The Kiwanis Club was already talking about how to grow it bigger and better for next year. The two local Kiwanis Clubs along with the local AKtion Club (Kiwanis for intellectually and physically challenged adults) pooled their manpower to put the Garlic Festival on. I think they did a superb job. And the bonus side of it is that the community benefits from it too.

I'll definitely be back next year.

PS....oh yeah, and while there, I found out about a tomato taste testing tomorrow...now if I can only figure out how to juggle a few things to get there...lol

Zana · September 12, 2009

Ok....here's what I got in way of garlic for seed

Brown Saxony
Siberian
Killarney Red
Pitarelli
Georgian Crystal (Porcelain)
Floha
Khabar
Hungarian Rose
Brown Rose
Japanese
Asian Tempest
Musical? Music?
Fish Lake 4
Metechi

I admit I don't know much about the individual varieties, but if anybody can fill me with personal preferences/comments I'd appreciate it. Going to sample a few too.

habitat_gardener · September 13, 2009

"garlic shooters"! Was that a way to taste different varieties of garlic, or just consume lots of garlic? Sounds like a great immune-system stimulant.

Zana · September 13, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

"garlic shooters"! Was that a way to taste different varieties of garlic, or just consume lots of garlic? Sounds like a great immune-system stimulant.

dunno....perhaps it was to keep the local vampire population at bay???? LOL But dang they were good. Just had to make sure that you were talking with a "like-consuming" group of people afterwards. LOL...I'm sure if I hadn't been I might have bowled over a few people. Heeheeheehee

stormymater · September 13, 2009

DH visibly shuddered when I told him about the garlic shooters - then he cut his eyes over to my bag o' garlic purchased for planting... but he didn't say a word LOL

September 9, 2009	#1
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	2009 Stratford Garlic Festival Saturday September 12, 2009 Open 9am-4pm at the old Stratford Fairgrounds (20 Glastonbury Drive, Stratford, Ontario, CANADA) featuring.... Elizabeth Baird, (Editor, Canadian Living) Rose Murray, (Chef and Author) Ted Maczka, (The Fish Lake Garlic Man) Eli Ham, (Stratford Shakespearean Festival Actor) Sara Bradford, (RHN) and lots more.... plus a number of renown chefs and garlic experts! www.stratfordgarlicfestival.com Presented by the Kiwanis Club of Stratford, Ontario, CANADA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are supposed to be info / seminars on growing, cooking, vendors, artisans and of course, eating (taste testing) different varieties. Plus musical entertainment. And did mention food samples???? Especially interesting: "To be Garlic ...or not to be Garlic?" a presentation on Shakespear and Garlic by Stratford Shakespearean Festival Actor, Eli Ham. "The History of Garlic" by Bob Litke, Heirloom Garlic Grower and Expert, Professor of Philosophy, University of Waterloo "All Tied Up" a garlic braiding demonstration by Al Cowan of Arranhill Garlic Farm. I'm planning on spending the better part of the day there! Yummmmmm....I promise not to breathe on anybody when I come home....ok....maybe just not too hard. LOL Zana

September 9, 2009	#2
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Wish I was in your neck of the woods to go-sounds great. __________________ Michael

September 9, 2009	#4
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	Sounds like fun! I will be at the Niagara Falls Blues Festival(American side) though. My father has me being the hospitality coordinator for the entertainment. I got bumped up from t-shirt vendor to a higher position after his girlfriend and him attended the tomato party. Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

September 9, 2009	#3
user10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 29	Shakespeare,.....Garlic,.... It sounds fun :-)

September 9, 2009	#5
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	what an awesome combo! Wish we had known about it to be able to get AFFORDABLE airline tickets b/c we'd be all over it!

September 10, 2009	#6
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	Cheapest way is to fly into Buffalo and then drive from there. About 2 hours or so depending upon traffic and construction.....and speed traps from the border. Unless you want to drive up. But remember the exchange is in your favour. You should get about 1.10 Canadian for every US dollar right now. So that would help. This will be their 3rd or 4th year. And its been growing steadily each year. Can't wait.

September 10, 2009	#9
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Ooohh! If I was only several thousand miles closer... Garlic, AND Hamlet - gotta be a great combo. Sounds like a fun event, hope you have a wonderful time.

September 12, 2009	#11
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	Just got back from Stratford and the Garlic Festival. Spent the better part of a the day there - either working it for the Kiwanis Club or touring the booths and watching some of the presentations. I'm not sure I want to total up what I spent. And then there were the garlic shooters - shots of garlic and water or juice...not quite sure, but dang those got addictive...hehehe...but have to be careful who I breathe on for the rest of the day. LOL Got some great jellies, jams, sauces, salsas, garlic teas yes I did say Garlic Tea, and some indian spices (whole spices - consisting of cinnamon bark, cloves, green cardamon pods, star anise and black peppercorn; chai masala, tandoori masala and curry masala). Since it started off overcast and cool, yours truly took a chance and wore a tshirt....but forgot the sunscreen. Ha! I'm no a lovely shade of pink after standing doing parking lot duty for 3 hours. I believe my aloe plant is going to get carved up a bit tonight. I also got garlic seed for quite a few varieties. Finally hooked up with Bob Litke whom I've been here about from another lady I know who has just gotten into heirloom tomatoes. It was quite amusing since when I asked him if he knew Barbara F...he said your name doesn't start with a "Z" does it??? LOL So we've decided to do some trading as he really wants to get into growing more heirloom tomatoes and I'd like to try growing some garlic. He's got a huge collection, so we're going to arrange to meet up soon. So all in all definitely was worth it. I think the other over 3500 people that went most likely thought so too! This was only their 3rd year doing it....and there will definitely be a 4th....only bigger by the sounds of it. The Kiwanis Club was already talking about how to grow it bigger and better for next year. The two local Kiwanis Clubs along with the local AKtion Club (Kiwanis for intellectually and physically challenged adults) pooled their manpower to put the Garlic Festival on. I think they did a superb job. And the bonus side of it is that the community benefits from it too. I'll definitely be back next year. PS....oh yeah, and while there, I found out about a tomato taste testing tomorrow...now if I can only figure out how to juggle a few things to get there...lol

September 13, 2009	#13
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	"garlic shooters"! Was that a way to taste different varieties of garlic, or just consume lots of garlic? Sounds like a great immune-system stimulant.