Garlic Festival marks summer’s end in Verona

Jeff Green | Sep 01, 2011

While there have been incidences of extreme weather in many parts of Canada this summer, Eastern Ontario has been one region that has enjoyed warm, dry weather, with just enough rain to keep crops coming along nicely without too much watering.

As summer winds down, the bounty on display at farmers’ markets, such as the Frontenac Farmers Market in Verona, gets broader every week.

This Saturday the market will be in full swing, and it will also be the location of the 5th Annual Verona Garlic Festival, the home of the Eastern Ontario Garlic Awards.

This year 12 garlic growers will have booths at the festival, the largest number ever, presenting 17 different varieties of garlic, in addition to braids, and sauces and spreads. The festival will also be a good opportunity for home growers to purchase seed and to get helpful growing tips from some of the top growers in the region.

The Verona Lions will also be presenting a fine breakfast and lunch menu featuring sausages made by market vendors to make for a full day of food and entertainment. In addition to the announcement of the garlic awards at 1 pm, the winner of the Verona Community Association’s Adopt-a-Barrel contest will also be announced. For children there will be an arts and craft table, as well as a miniature train and mini-golf. Admission to the festival is free and there is ample free parking on site as well.

So turn down the Sand Road on Saturday between 9 am and 2 pm, pick up the last of the summer’s sweet corn and mouth-watering tomatoes, and breathe the aroma of potent, fresh garlic. Remember – garlic is an essential ingredient in most fine dishes, from stews to sauces, to roasts and savoury pies, and fresh, local garlic is the best.