From garlic bread to garlic ice cream, the South Florida Garlic Fest returns to Wellington
This stinks ... and we love it!
Entering its 25th year, the South Florida Garlic Fest is back and as wonderfully pungent as ever.
This two-day extravaganza celebrating the mighty bulb is once again ready to rock your olfactory senses and taste buds like they haven't been rocked since, well ... last year.
Seriously, if you thought last year was garlicky goodness at its finest, prepare for smell, taste and fun overload as the "best stinkin' party in South Florida" will once again be offering up some of the wildest, most delicious, garlic-infused creations known to man.
There will be garlic wings, garlic fries, garlic crab cakes, roasted garlic pizza, garlic conch fritters, garlic ginger candied bacon, garlic bacon teriyaki chicken, garlic bacon soft shell crab and so much, much more.
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Yes, there will be garlic ice cream again, and it will rock your world!
There will be also be full bars, beer and wine as well as soft drinks and water to wash all that garlicky goodness down.
New for 2024 will be "The Clove." Located just inside the main gates, this interactive celebration will take garlic lovers on an aromatic journey.
Some of the stops will include The Clove Premium Bar, where guests can try garlic-inspired cocktails, mocktails and tap releases of garlic beer from several local breweries. It will also feature the Garlic Market with fresh and packaged garlic, garlic roasters, garlic memorabilia, décor and more. Finally, there will be garlic seminars (with ticket upgrade) featuring live cooking demonstrations by acclaimed chefs.
For music fans, Saturday kicks off with the Bon Jovi tribute band Shot Thru the Heart at 1:30 p.m., the Fabulous Fleetwoods at 3:30 p.m., The Dave Matthews Tribute Band at 5:30 and then headliner Ryan Montgomery at 7:30 p.m.
A South Florida native who was born in Wellington, Montgomery will rock the festival with one great song after another including "We Brought the Party" and one of his newest hits "All Summer Long."
On Sunday, Mike Garulli will play at 11 a.m.
Taking the stage at 1 p.m. the band The Resilient will give the crowd a serious rocking and massive dose of inspiration. Blasting out the American rock, this group is primarily made up of wounded combat veterans. Their experiences, inspirations and challenges shine through in their music and performance.
Closing out the show will be the band Dirty Work at 3 p.m. A tribute to the music of Steely Dan and comprised of studio musicians, this band has an even more focused take as they faithfully reproduce the classic album "Aja" in its entirety.
During the two-day festival, in addition to food, music, rides and games, expect craft vendors, exhibitors and merchants from around the country.
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This festival has been featured on the Food Network, the Cooking Channel show "Carnival Eats" and even on the quiz show "Jeopardy."
If you go
What: South Florida Garlic Fest
Where: Village of Wellington Town Center & Amphitheater, 12100 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4
Cost: $15, children under 10 free
Information: garlicfestfl.com
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He has lived in the West Palm Beach area for more than 30 years and, from mild to wild, will cover noteworthy community happenings. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: South Florida Garlic Fest opens this weekend with food, music, games
