The Olde Mistick Village Garlic Festival Returns This September

The quickest way to find Olde Mistick Village on September 19 and 20 may be to skip the map and follow the garlic. For one weekend, the open-air Mystic village gets considerably more fragrant as farmers unpack freshly harvested bulbs and food vendors put the famously pungent ingredient to work. Visitors can wander the pathways with something savory in hand, browse tables piled with the season’s harvest, and hear live music drifting between the shops. Fall has plenty of signature flavors, but Mystic is making a strong case for giving garlic its turn.

Now in its 19th year, the Olde Mistick Village Garlic Festival puts the bulb front and center. Regional farmers will arrive with an assortment of garlic varieties, giving home cooks plenty to bring back to the cutting board. The harvest doesn’t stop there. Stands will also be stocked with fresh produce and fruit, herbs, honey, jams, baked goods, flowers, and other finds from the season.

From there, the festival turns into a browse-and-snack affair. More than 60 farmers, food makers, artists, craftspeople, and other vendors will fill the village pathways with things to taste, discover, and take home. Olde Mistick Village restaurants and visiting eateries will get in on the theme with garlic-inspired foods throughout the weekend, along with non-garlic favorites for anyone who reaches their clove limit early.

All that grazing comes with a soundtrack. Local musicians and bands will perform 16 shows over the two-day festival, giving visitors plenty of chances to stumble upon a set while exploring the village.

“Local musicians and bands will be playing throughout Olde Mistick Village,” says Tiffany Ezzell of the Olde Mistick Village Merchants Association. Younger festivalgoers can break up the browsing with face painting and balloon art, too.

Olde Mistick Village makes it easy to turn a festival stop into an afternoon. Colonial-style buildings, ponds, footpaths, and storefronts offer plenty to explore between bites and musical sets, with no real itinerary required. A bag of farm-fresh garlic, something good to eat, and a few unexpected finds can do the planning instead.

The Garlic Festival runs Saturday, September 19, from 11am-7pm and Sunday, September 20, from 11am-6pm. Admission and parking are free. For festival details and updates, visit oldemistickvillage.com.