ORANGE — Next year’s North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival will have not one, but two reigning champions.
Roberto Melendez, of Malden, won the raw garlic-eating contest with a record 56 cloves, while chef Nyanyika Banda bested childhood friend Elijah Lagreze in the festival’s first-ever Stinkin’ Chef Competition. The two were given “garlic bucks” to shop from vendors on the field before improvising dishes in front of an audience.
It was a dash of competitive spirit to the family-friendly event’s aura of peace, love and art.
“There’s just been really, really great crowds,” festival co-founder Deb Habib said on Sunday. “So the feedback’s been really good. The crowds have been wonderful. Everything’s just been going really smoothly.”
Melendez narrowly defeated last year’s champion Chris Weeks, who consumed 54 cloves, to win the garlic-eating contest, and Banda won the cooking competition with a lamb and vegetable dish.
Josh Habib, with the megaphone, emcees the Raw Garlic Eating Contest at the annual North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival in Orange on Saturday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ 
Laura DaCruz of Billerica, second from the left, bows out after consuming 20 cloves of garlic, and offers her supply to last year’s winner Chris Weeks of Greenfield during the Raw Garlic Eating Contest at the annual North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival in Orange on Saturday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ 
Eventual winner Roberto Melendez of Malden chows down on garlic cloves during the speed round, narrowly beating last year’s champion Chris Weeks of Greenfield, in yellow, 56 to 54, during the Raw Garlic Eating Contest at the annual North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival in Orange on Saturday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ 
Garlic-eating winner Roberto Melendez of Malden is given a bouquet of garlic and some mouth wash for setting a new record of 56 cloves at the Raw Garlic Eating Contest at the annual North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival in Orange on Saturday. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ
There were also at least 100 booths and exhibitors featuring local artwork, healing arts and garlic-infused cuisine.
“It’s mind-blowing. Think about it, if we did a business plan 27 years ago, people would have said, ‘No way,’ … or if you called it an environmental fair it wouldn’t have worked,” said Habib’s husband, Ricky Baruc. “Somehow, there’s this magic between garlic and arts. Look how many vendors there are … and they’re all making money. The food vendors, a lot of them sold out.”
The idea for the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival arose from a conversation between Baruc and Jim Fountain in 1998. Baruc mentioned there were not many places to sell the garlic he grew on his farm and Fountain, a woodworker, said he had the same problem with his art. This led to another conversation with a group of five neighbors, each of whom contributed $20 to give it a try. The festival is entirely volunteer-run.
On Sunday, Baruc said he initially worried that the vendors that billed themselves as “Gays, Goats and Garlic” might fall victim to today’s toxic political climate, but they reported being treated very warmly.
“This place, for whatever reason, is protected from the insanity,” he said.
Nina Wellen ran the children’s art tent for the fifth year or so, and said the clay, bubbles and painting table were popular activities, though it often depends on the kids’ ages.
“For instance, the huge hit yesterday was the sandbox, with the trucks and the cars and the shovels,” she said.
There was also circular yarn-weaving on plates and bracelet-beading.
Habib said a sweet quote from a 9-year-old girl on Saturday summed up the joy the weekend produces.
“She said, ‘This is the greatest festival, and you know the best thing?’ And I said, ‘What?’ She said, ‘I’m coming back tomorrow,'” Habib recounted.
