Crowds Flock to Vermont Garlic Festival

By Jen ThomasPrint Story | Email Story
Susan Conway of Mud Road Farm created this peace sign from garlic bulbs.
BENNINGTON, Vt. - As part of their orientation, Williams College freshmen James Allison and Alex Mendels had a chance to get a taste of Vermont this weekend. "Well, they make great use of garlic," said Mendels, 18, of Yorktown, N.Y. "It’s very creative." On Saturday, the two teenagers experienced the 12th annual Southern Vermont Garlic and Herb Festival as part of a school-sponsored ‘First Days’ trip to Bennington. Held for the first time in town, the festival to celebrate the July harvest of garlic kicked off to an unprecedented number of attendees. "The crowd just [Saturday] is double anything we’ve ever done on our best day," said Steven Wrathall, who organizes the event every year with his wife, Joy Powell. "That’s twice as many people having fun." With crowd projections for the two-day event set at 12,000 to 14,000 people, the 50 vendors set up at Colgate Park on Route 9 will have an opportunity to show off their unique wares - everything from garlic-flavored ice cream and fudge to pottery constructed to hold garlic. "We have so many different vendors - food, clothing, crafts - but we like to keep the theme of garlic and herbs," said Wrathall. Formerly held in Wilmington, Vt., the festival attracts garlic-lovers from across New England and New York. With restaurants, wineries, craftsmen, herbalists, and farmers represented at the weekend event, there’s something for everyone. "This event has a huge following," said JoAnn Erenhouse, director of the Bennington Chamber of Commerce. "Here in Vermont, we’re very into fresh foods and growing our own foods, so this seems like a natural event for us." Featured at this year’s festival is live music, inflatable bounce houses for children, free samples, face painting, braiding demonstrations and "garlic golf," in which participants attempt to sink a hole in one using a bulb of garlic. "[The festival] is bigger and better than ever," Erenhouse said. Admission is $5 for adults; children 12 and under get in for $1. The festival will continue today, Sept. 2, and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Colgate Park is at 1545 Route 9, 1.5 miles west of the four corners in Bennington.
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Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
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