Stacks of garlic sits on the table as workers at Brer Rabbit Farms clean up their booth in preparation for the weekend rush of visitors to Garlic Fest last year in Chehalis.
Garlic enthusiasts will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy their beloved bulb at the 20th annual Chehalis Garlic Fest, scheduled to begin Friday.
The festival highlights the pungent-tasting vegetable with a large number of food vendors all dedicated to serving some sort of creative, interesting garlic food, organizer Judy DeVaul said.
After nine years of running the festival, this will be the last Garlic Fest put on by the DeVaul family.
Next year, Lewis County will take over the operation.
Lee Coumbs, interim fair manager, said the county hopes to keep the same format. He said it’s a good fundraiser for the organizations that take part in the event, but that the county will likely make some profit off of it.
Since its creation, the Chehalis Garlic Fest has been a 100 percent charitable endeavor.
Local organizations and groups are able to raise money for their causes. In the last nine years the event has generated over $70,000 for the charities and organizations.
According to DeVaul, seven entities expressed interest in taking over operation of the event, but the DeVauls found the county to be best suited for the role.
“The county undoubtedly has the capabilities and full time staff, so it should be really easy for them,” she said. “We talked to them about how important it was that Garlic Fest remains a really happy, upbeat, positive, fun event.”
For the last year under the DeVaul family, organizers are working hard to bring the best Garlic Fest the county has seen so far.
“It’s going to be absolutely amazing,” DeVaul said. “It’s going to be a great year; we just adore our vendors.”
This year, about 60 craft and product vendors will be at the event, and there will be about 20 food vendors.
The snack options will be immense, according to DeVaul. From garlic butter elephant ears, to étouffée, a spicy Louisiana cajun stew, every garlic lover will be able to find something that appeases their senses.
This year, DeVaul said the event will have a better showing of garlic farms than in years past. A garlic farmer will be traveling from Twisp in the eastern part of the state to sell his garlic.
“Their farm is done non-mechanically,” DeVaul said, adding draft horses are utilized on the farm. Another garlic farmer from Oregon will be bringing “beautiful kinds” of garlic varieties that even DeVaul has never heard of.
Attendees will be able to choose from around 65 garlic varieties this year.
“There’s always new vendors that we have that come through, and so it’s always kind of new and fresh and exciting,” DeVaul said. “It’s always something interesting and there’s new and fun things to taste, and to do and see.”
Although food is a major draw to the event, there will be plenty of entertainment this year as usual.
On Friday night, The Prohibition Band will be headlining the evening performances, and music will be on the stage all weekend long. Kids activities will be provided throughout the weekend, something new to this year’s Garlic Fest.
Bethel Church will be bringing its bouncy house and slide, DeVaul said.
Last year, a wind storm thwarted the festivities on Saturday night, but with sunshine in the forecast, DeVaul expects a great three-day period to hold the event.
“That’s the one thing you can’t control,” she said. “You can get everything else lined up but you can never count on the weather, so we are excited about that this year.”
DeVaul said she is sad to relinquish control of the festival, but also said it was an exciting time as someone new takes over the event.
“We now know how Shawn and Andie Hamilton felt 11 years ago when they turned it over to us,” she said. The Hamiltons held the first Garlic Fest event at their farm off of Scheuber Road. Once the DeVauls took it over, it was moved to the fairgrounds.
“We have valued and loved the partnership of the community over the last nine years, and we are grateful that my family has had an opportunity to do this,” DeVaul said. “This was passed down from the Hamiltons to the DeVauls and now will continue on through the county. It’s exciting.”
