Most of the day trips that we’ve written about here have been for the kids. This one is dedicated to the grownups: Hudson Valley Garlic Festival, which this year runs Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26.
It’s not that the festival, which is held up the Hudson River in Saugerties, N.Y., doesn’t have stuff for kids to do. There’s a lot of good music to enjoy, a kids’ activities tent and a climbing wall. But, hey, this festival is all about consuming large quantities of garlic, which is not something that every child will find enjoyable.
And yes, I do mean large quantities. Every vendor in the food court area is required to have garlic in their menu, which means that you will get not only garlic sausage and garlic soup, but also garlic ice cream and garlic funnel cake. The Hudson valley grows the best garlic in the country, and you will get to taste dozens of different varieties, ranging from mild to chile-pepper spicy.
It takes about 2 hours to get to Saugerties, but you will probably hit traffic on the last few miles into town. The festival is incredibly popular and attracts fans by the busload, but festival organizers do a good job of getting everybody in, parked and out. Tickets are $10 for adults and kids under 12 are free. All the information is on the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival Web site.
