A Visit to the Chehalis Garlic Festival and Craft Show

The Food is the Focus at Garlic Fest

Jonathon Devers offers Cupcakes for Kit Carson Restaurant at Garlic Fest.

Rodney Givens of the Backfire Band looked out at the crowd during the Friday evening stage show and quipped “it smells like garlic out there. Does anybody have garlic breath?” A good portion of the crowd raised their hands in commonality. “There may be bad breath, but there is some good food out there,” laughed Givens.

The Backfire Band played for the audience at Garlic Fest on Friday evening.

Food, especially garlic, wine arts and crafts were featured prominently at the Garlic Fest but one thing the casual observer at the 14th Chehalis Garlic Fest and Craft Show should have is a map. The vendors are a collection of artists and food enthusiasts that represent a diverse geographical spectrum.

The operator of “Garlic Festival Foods” in Gilroy, California, Gregg Staples enjoys some great food at Garlic Fest.

Take for example Gregg Staples, a vendor from Gilroy, California or at least so he says initially, in a conversation as he enjoyed some wonderful food of his own production at the Garlic Festival. In expanded dialogue, Staples admitted being a native of the Pacific Northwest but he and his wife live in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and tour various Garlic Festivals with his company “Garlic Festival Foods”, largely to avoid the heat of home.

Elias Zamora ties bunches of garlic together for one of the vendors at the Chehalis Garlic Fest.

Under the roof of a Southwest Washington Fairgrounds Exhibition building, “Papa Rays’ had product set out in poetic and rhythmic fashion on shelves developed through experience. Visiting with customers was Monik and Ray Lansing from Spokane. “We go to a lot of these festivals but this is the most fun”, said Ray. “People here are friendlier and they take the food seriously”.

Down the exhibit row and around the corner Elias Zamora was tying bunches of garlic together. Zamora was slightly more extreme but typical of the vendors at the festival. After a little thought, he admitted that he lived a solid portion of the year in Tijuana, Mexico, but travels and works all over the west.

Chandra Runnels offers service to customers at “Kali’s Table”, a vendor at Garlic Fest.

To the west thirty yards or so, Chandra Runnels served customers at “Kali’s Table”, a merchant from Yelm. Like many vendors at Chehalis Garlic Fest, this one has an internet presence and displays at various garlic events in the northwest. The days of a brick and mortar restaurant in Yelm are now just a memory.

Jerry “JB” Bentley on guitar, Michael Shea with the saxophone and one of the “Shaker Girls” perform as “Blues Attitude”. The band from Olympia entertained the Garlic Festival crowd on Friday afternoon.

In the meantime, Winlock’s Meg Jordan enjoyed a weekend near home. This stop for “Just Jordies” is close to home but most of her weekends are spent in places farther from her residence in Lewis County.

Winlock’s Meg Jordan watches over her “Just Jordie’s” Delectable Culinary Delights booth at Garlic Fest on Friday.

It was Lansing of Papa Ray’s that explained the difference between the Garlic Fest in Chehalis and other similar events in the northwest. “We used to go to events in Nevada, but now attend festivals from Boise to the Canadian Border. Some of them are dominated by arts and crafts dealers and buyers but if you don’t like garlic, you shouldn’t be here” (at the Chehalis Garlic Festival) he laughed.