a local tradition for eighteen years!

Pocono farmers need a whole weekend to celebrate the harvest of the beautiful culinary must have, GARLIC! Hosted at Shawnee Mountain Ski Area Labor Day Weekend; September 1st & 2nd 2012 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Pocono Garlic Festival is the best lil’ festival you will ever experience with garlic gastronomic extravagance. Its’ humble beginnings of four garlic farmers in the back of a church parking lot located in Stroudsburg, PA in 1994 has paved the way for garlic enthusiast of all kinds. Now in its eighteenth year, the Pocono Garlic Festival attracts an attendance of over ten thousand garlic loving guest and host over fifty vendors that sell one of a kind garlic infused foods, garlic themed art, garlic to buy, garlic growing seminars, garlic cooking demonstrations and a new addition of a GARLIC EATING CONTEST!! This year’s festival is especially sentimental to all involved die to the loss of one of its founders, Rolling Hills’ Farmer Frank Pollock. For four decades Pollock was a strong advocate of the local farming community and through his tireless efforts the Pocono Garlic Festival made it what it is today. This year’s festival will be dedicated to the man you loved to spread the gospel of Pocono grown garlic.

What makes this the best lil’ food festival in N.E. PA? Well, the locally grown hard neck garlic of course. All food vendors serve unique garlic dishes. No two are alike, with thirty-five garlic stations that are enough to make any-one’s mouth salivate. For those who are returning to the festival there are some new additions; Garlic cotton candy, garlic ice cream, garlic shaved ice, freshly prepared garlic doughnuts, garlic fried Oreos, garlic roasted cashews, garlic pickled tomatoes, garlic veggie burgers, garlic kinishes and even garlic hand rolled cigars! Don’t worry, though, there is enough of the tried and true garlic foods fort the less adventurous eater. To taste all the garlic dishes at the festival you may need to take a trip around the world, but here at the Pocono Garlic Festival a great array of seasoned chefs prepare the garlicky best all in one location; Italian foods, Mexican foods, Polish Foods, Mediterranean foods, Asian and Southwestern including many American standards as well as a few garlicky surprises with on site barbeque that includes a whole garlic laced roasted pig.

No other venue in the area offers four platforms of continuous entertainment, included with the cost of admission, for the-whole weekend. Some returning favorites include Zydeco a Go-Go, Juggernaut String Band as well as performers featured from the Pocono Bluegrass and Folk Music Society. Fun for all ages, performers from far and near come to amuse the festival goers, magicians, jugglers and strolling musicians and children’s activity area. Hands on amusement can-be held at the petting zoo or learn more about the wild animals from the Pocono Wildlife Rehab Center under the educational tent. PWRC director Kathy Uhler, hosts an hour discussion of fun furry facts with some wild native guest. Not forgetting what the festival is about Chef Dan Rothman, chapter president of Slow Food Pocono Mountains, will be giving a cooking tutorial with garlic 101. He will be revealing some of the restaurants industry tricks of the trade under the tent as well. If you didn’t get enough of the stinking rose, speakers and garlic farmers Bob Dunkel and Roman Osadca, will give two daily informative lectures on growing farlic, garlic history and garlic health benefits. Sponsor, Shawnee Craft Brewery Company will be having discussions of how to make beer with your favorite ingredients; which can even include garlic.

Don’t forget to bring plenty of mints since on Saturday that weekend the festival will feature the first ever POCONO GARLIC EATING CONTEST!! Hosted under the “big tent” contestants will have a minute to consume the most raw garlic chopped cloves. A panel of judges will crown the robust breathed contest King/Queen of the 2012 Pocono Garlic Festival. The champion garlic chomper will be awarded a hand crafted garlic trophy made by local artisan Mudworks Pottery along with other monetary prizes.

Continuing the tradition of supporting the local community, each year the Pocono Garlic Festival donates all the festival water sales to the Salvation Army of East Stroudsburg. In 2011 the festival donated $600 and to date have raised just about $3000 in funds for the non profit.

For more information see Pocono Garlic Festival