Take Your Cloves Off: 2025 South Florida Garlic Festival to Turn Up the Stink Factor this Weekend
Garlic — smelly, pungent, “Nosferatu” repellent — needs no help being heavy-handed. But tell that to Nancy Stewart, who’s upping the bulb’s ante again when the 26th annual South Florida Garlic Fest stinks up Wellington this weekend.
"I can’t help myself," says Stewart, the festival’s garlic czar. "We’ve got a lot of new residents in the region and they’re all curious about why there’s a garlic festival in a non-garlic capital of the country."
A Bill of Gourmet Delights
Garlic Fest’s music headliners — including blues-rock stalwarts The Fabulous Fleetwoods and Fort Lauderdale jam-band groovers The Heavy Pets — lead a bill of 80 Gourmet Alley vendors selling garlic shrimp scampi, garlic pizza, ginger-candied garlic bacon, garlic crab cakes, and, of course, the acquired taste known as garlic gelato. This year’s stinky new arrivals: garlic lobster rolls, baked garlic clams, and a garlic s’more bubble waffle sandwich.
The Clove Marketplace
The bash’s new format, which swapped national headliners for local and regional acts, has brought a fresh focus to the festival. The Clove Marketplace, a bulb-centric bazaar, features chef demonstrations, garlic cocktails, and heads of garlic for sale. A premium bar slings garlic martinis, bloody marys, and even garlic beer.
Clove-Centric Activities
The Clove will grow this year with free hourly demos from Christopher Ranch, the garlic supplier behind California’s iconic Gilroy Garlic Festival, on roasting black, elephant, and regular garlic. Sessions will also be devoted to making bruschetta, chimichurri, pesto, and garlic shrimp.
Health Benefits and Culinary Possibilities
Meanwhile, other sessions will salute the benefits and culinary possibilities of the antioxidant-rich clove, which is said to support heart and blood vessel health.
"It’s gone over really well without the amusement rides," Stewart says. "People love when we add more garlic, not less."
Event Details
- What: 26th Annual South Florida Garlic Fest
- When: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
- Where: Village of Wellington Town Center, 12100 Forest Hill Blvd.
- Cost: $16.39 for general admission, with free entry for children age 9 and younger
- Musical Lineup:
- Saturday: The Fabulous Fleetwoods (1:30-3 p.m.), Latin reggae-soul group Xperimento (3:30-5 p.m.), tropical rockers Seranation (5:30-7 p.m.), and The Heavy Pets (7:30-9 p.m.)
- Sunday: Santana tribute act (12:30-2 p.m.), classic country-rock cover act Daniel Childs Band (2:30-4 p.m.), and country group Andrew Morris Band (4:30-6 p.m.)
- Information: GarlicFestFL.com
FAQs:
- Q: What’s new at the 2025 South Florida Garlic Fest?
A: Expect garlic lobster rolls, baked garlic clams, and a garlic s’more bubble waffle sandwich, among other new additions. - Q: How much does general admission cost?
A: $16.39 for general admission, with free entry for children age 9 and younger. - Q: Can I park my car at the festival?
A: Yes, parking is free at Wellington Amphitheater, but be aware that cars parking in the nearby Town Square at Wellington plaza "will be booted." A free shuttle service will also be available from the Mall at Wellington Green.
