Garlic Fest Grows Into Garlic Town USA
by Doug la Rocque
When the traditional Garlic Fest was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce came up with the idea to turn Bennington into Garlic Town, USA. This entailed setting up five spots around the town where two to three garlic vendors (usually ones who participate in Garlic Fest) would be able to set up and entertain guests, similar to the annual garlic event.
The day also included many businesses up and down Main Street setting up shop outside their establishments to take advantage of the day’s visitors.
The Chambers’s Executive Director, Matt Harrington, said the initial response was tremendous and tickets to the cloves were sold out.
One of the vendors was Daren Carroll of White Creek, who owns Grá den Talún Farm who specializes in produce that includes garlic, ginger, shallots, onions, potatoes and Hopi Blue seed corn. He told The Eastwick Press he thought the chamber adapted well and brought as much of the Garlic Fest atmosphere as possible to the event. This is Mr. Carroll’s sixth year in the garlic retail business, and he travels to other Garlic Festivals in New York and Connecticut, as well as hosting website sales.