‘Showcasing community’: North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival returns

ORANGE — Let’s not mince words: It’s time once again for the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival.

The 28th rendition of “the festival that stinks” is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 60 Chestnut Hill Road on Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27.

“My favorite part is really the sense of the community creating everything together, that people can create this together,” festival committee member Deb Habib said.

The idea for the festival arose from a conversation between Orange residents Jim Fountain and Habib’s husband, Ricky Baruc, 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 try to make a go of it.

The first festival was held in 1999 at Habib’s and Baruc’s Seeds of Solidarity Farm, but that venue proved to be too small, so Dorothy Forster started offering the land her father, Clifford Forster Sr., operated as a dairy farm from 1926 to 1941.

The event will once again feature the popular raw garlic-eating contest (3 p.m. on Saturday) as well as the “Portal to the Future,” which promotes the benefits of renewable energy and being self-sufficient. Janice Kurkoski, who organizes the Renewable Energy and Local Living Talks that are held in the “Portal,” said this year’s series will include mushroom growers from Mycoterra Farm in South Deerfield and local cheesemakers.

“The whole festival is about showcasing community,” she said.

Kurkoski said the latest addition is Camp Caravan, part of the Millers River Educational Cooperative. She said the educational space for practical skills will include a sharpening wheel where people can sharpen hand tools “like the old days.”

“It’s called Portal to the Future, but a lot of things we promote there are common-sense skills that have fallen by the wayside,” she said. “They’re still relevant.”

Kurkoski mentioned the festival brings folks from across the state to what is generally considered “flyover country,” as people from the Boston area typically drive past the North Quabbin region to get to the Berkshires for vacation.

The field at Forster Farm will include at least 120 booths and exhibitors, creating a temporary makeshift village of artists and craftspeople, farmers and farm products, regional restaurants and food vendors, community organizations, healing arts practitioners and professionals in the area of renewable energy. There are also demonstrations and scheduled workshops throughout the weekend.

There will be the garlic and egg toss, garlic sack race and tug-of-garlic on the main field, with all ages welcome to participate. The festival will again have its children’s art tent and three stages hosting entertainment. More information is available at garlicandarts.org.

Habib said the festival is proof that “people can come together in a very grassroots way, without a corporate sponsor or alcohol sales.”

Adult admission is $10. Students, senior citizens or holders of EBT, WIC or ConnectorCare cards get in for $5. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted for free. Admission is valid for the whole weekend. There is no on-site ATM, and guests are encouraged to bring a bottle for free water or buy a refillable one.

The festival is volunteer-organized and run. Proceeds keep the event sustainable and affordable, and support the festival’s community grants to local art, agriculture, health, justice and energy projects.

On-site parking across from the upper entrance gate on Chestnut Hill Road is available only for carpools of three or more, and for accessible parking for people with disability placards/plates. On-site parking beyond the lower entrance gate is also available. It is a short walk to the lower gate along Chestnut Hill Road.

There is also a free shuttle, with pickup at the main festival parking lot at the intersection of Holtshire and Fairman roads, which is about 1.5 miles from the event. Buses leave approximately every 10 minutes, and it’s a seven-minute ride to the festival.

Habib said the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School boys soccer team will assist motorists in the parking lot.

No pets except for service dogs are allowed on the festival field or in vehicles at any time.