Get ready to experience garlic in every manner possible when Easton Garlic Fest returns Oct. 7-8, 2o17.

Garlicky pasta rolled in a flaming wheel of cheese? Check. Garlic cook-offs? Check. Garlic-infused desserts? Check. During the festival – set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday – visitors will find a number of fan favorites, with a few new surprises as well. New this year is a Beer and Stinkin’ Bites Pairing where a $20 ticket allows a visitor to taste six Weyerbacher Brewing Co. beers, paired with six gar-licious foods. Participants will also leave with a Garlic Fest/Weyerbacher collectible beer glass. Tickets may be purchased at the event (Noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday).

Headline Chef Fred Grant (The Bayou) will pair with Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. to challenge area mayors to create the best dish in the annual Mayors Cook-off at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Grant will also be featured in cook-offs and demos throughout the weekend. Also returning this year is the Gastric Garlic People’s Choice Contest, where guests can sample garlicky dishes from local chefs and cast their vote for the best (Noon-3 p.m. Saturday; $12).

On Sunday, guests can sample their way through the Dangerous Desserts People’s Choice Contest and help select a winner (Noon-3 p.m. Sunday; $10). Other highlights include a Hometown Heroes Cook-Off (1 p.m. Saturday) where firefighters, police officers and sheriffs go head to head in a cooking battle; a Farm-toMarket Mystery Basket Cook-off (2:30 p.m. Saturday) and the Flaming Stinkin’ Wheel of Cheese. The latter will feature four seatings each day, where up to 20 guests can sample gourmet pasta rolled in garlic butter and cooked in a giant wheel of flaming Parmigiano Reggiano (Noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. both days).

Guests will find live music and 90+ vendors, farmers and crafters at this year’s festival. Younger visitors will delight in the activities at Little Stinkers Row and can even take part in their own Culinary Kids Cook-Off (five children will be chosen to compete with a chef to prepare a garlicky pasta at 2:30 p.m. both days). No matter how you celebrate, one thing’s for sure: It’ll be a stinkin’ good time. ABOUT: Easton Garlic Fest will ring in its 16th year Oct. 7-8 in Centre Square, Easton. The festival celebrates all things garlic and invites visitors to taste the odoriferous bulb in sweet and savory dishes and drinks. For more about the festival, visit eastongarlicfest.com.