Fresh garlic, planted last fall, is now ready for Ontario consumers.
That garlic is worth celebrating said organizers of this Sunday's downtown Garlic Festival  taking place outside of Hnatyshyn Park  at Elm St. and Notre Dame Ave. from 11 am.
"We think so highly of the wonderful aspects of garlic from
taste to its reputed medicinal value that we have been holding
our Original Canadian Garlic Festival for 16 years," said
Sandra Sharko.
Sharko is the chair of the Ukrainian Seniors Centre and member of the garlic festival committee.
Sharko said the centre volunteers and staff first heard
about the first major garlic festival in Gilroy California, in
1991, near where a lot of North American garlic is grown.
 
"Because we are always looking for ways to get our seniors
active and socializing we thought we would try a small festival
here," said Sharko.
Whereas 75 people participated in the first garlic festival inside the seniors centre now 5,000 regularly attend and the festival now incorporates the street between Elm and Notre Dame up to Ste. Anne Rd. Admission is $2 but includes a  chance at a wealth of give-aways and prizes, said Sharko.
"We are a food festival so get set to enjoy garlic spiced foods," she said.
Foods include perogies and cabbage rolls laced with garlic sold out of the basement of St. Mary's Church nearby. On-site garlic vendors will have garlic nibblers including garlic fudge, ice-cream and chocolate chip cookies, garlic brusketta and balabusky.
"Everybody loves balabusky. It is a combination of bread with a potato filling using local Don Poulin potatoes. This mix includes onions and garlic. It is made into a dough ball, left to rise and baked in an oven. Then it is coated with a mix of garlic and butter, she said.
Other garlic delicacies include sour kraut  with kabosca, various garlic spreads and of course fresh Ontario garlic. There are garlic pickles, garlic jams and an assortment of garlic condiments such as garlic chili sauce.
This weekend's festival kicks-off with a folk group from the Ukraine, Lvivsky Muzyky, Saturday night at St. Mary's Church at 7:30 pm in the auditorium.
The quartet is acclaimed as one of the best Ukrainian folk artist groups, performing in Europe, the United States and Australia. Their repertoire includes traditional and contemporary songs, folk ballads, polkas, waltzes, tangos and jazz related songs. Tickets are $10.
Other entertainment includes vocalists, dancers, choirs and instrumentalists.
"We try and support our local artists and allow them to be part of our festival. We even have a local Elvis impersonator in honour of the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis," said Sharko.
Children will be entertained by Scholar's Choice  arts and crafts, clowns, face painting, balloons and small gifts sponsored by TD Canada Trust.
For more information phone 673-7404 or visit www.ukrsenios.org .
