Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival in Bethlehem 2024

Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival enlivens Bethlehem Fairgrounds every year on the weekend in early October. Also known as Bethlehem Garlic Festival, this amazing harvest celebration focuses on garlic-based produce, showcased through the fair, a food court, cooking demonstrations, and how-to-grow-garlic lectures. Beyond all things garlic, you can also indulge in live band performances while your kids enjoy the festivals' rides and games.

Festival Fair & Food Court

Apart from fresh garlic, the Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival offers a market packed with cool garlic specialty produce, such as garlic dips, cheeses, spreads, and oils. Most vendors offer free samples to try before you make up your mind to buy anything. The expansive food court crams a variety of homemade delicacies, including specialty garlic sliders, deep-fried garlic, roasted garlic sausage, wood-fired garlic pizzas, and even garlic ice cream!

Some of the other food you can try at this year's festival includes garlic parmesan fries, garlic lobster rolls, garlic shrimp mac & cheese, charcuterie cups with meat, cheese, and garlic, cannoli cones, and many other delicious meals. The sight is mouthwatering, to say the least, and will satisfy the cravings of the pickiest visitors.

Festival Events

Besides the market, consider stopping by the many cooking demonstrations and panels that will be available at the venue. Local garlic and food experts will let you in on all the secrets behind the uses of black garlic, dumpling recipes, and more. Other featured workshops are presented on fire Cider, garlic powder, and general garlic gardening tips. The event is also accompanied by a fun music lineup, which includes KC Sisters and Parker’s Tangent. Children will be delighted to try out the variety of kid-friendly activities, mainly pumpkin decorating, water slides, and inflatables.

Schedule & Tickets

Bethlehem Fairgrounds will be open to festival-goers from 9 am through 6 pm on Saturday and from 9 am through 5 pm on Sunday. As for admission, tickets are $10 per adult and $1 per child under 12. Note that Bethlehem Garlic Festival accepts only cash at the ticket gates and at the souvenir booths. Another limitation refers to dogs—these are not allowed at the festival, except for service animals.

Location of the Fest

Bethlehem Fairgrounds is perched on Route 61, just north of Bethlehem. The entrance is at 304 Main St. North. The city is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) from Hartford and 13 miles (19 km) from Torrington. New Haven is situated about 37 miles (59 km) northeast from Bethlehem and is another great spot for a stopover.