Garlic Festival

After reading the event calendar on Vancity Buzz, and seeing this event, it really didn’t peak my interest, but it was Sunday and neither my partner, nor myself had much planned, and since we are in Richmond we decided to go to this event. This year marks the 6^th time they have had it… six years, wow… I have never heard about this festival at all, and really didn’t know how to get here, luckily the website had a physical address for me to put into the phone GPS and away we went!
When we arrived, the main road to the Park was closed off, and parking is in residential area, I was lucky enough (parking gods coming through again) to find a spot near the main closed off gate. After that we walked a few blocks toward the festivities. We didn’t know what to expect and when we got here it was different, how so you ask? This festival melded with the farm quite well, where the sponsor’s/vendor’s used the area they were given, and didn’t intrude upon it. Coming here, you felt one with the farm lands, as they seperated the sections up, the first part we were in was actually the last portion, a make-​shift small stage, a fire-​burning oven for Steveston pizza, and a ‘spin the wheel’ tent set up by Kin’s Farm, where they are taking donations, and you can win anything from lettuce to reusable bags.
There was a second area that was set-​up for the youth, and a small little petting zoo with the Richmond Automalls ‘bunnies’ (real life rabbits) for the kids… a good assortment of little hoppity creatures (even though mine would take the cake on cute, and wanting to being pet!) and other youth oriented products being sold at this portion of the festival. I can see that the children were having a blast, and all in a very controlled environment. At the same time it was very sheilded from the other portions of the festival, in a different zone, seperated by the trees and bushes, pretty cool.
In the final area… where most people probably start their journey through this festival, there are greeters from the sharing farm telling you what they are doing there, and how you can help. There was car2go, BC Hydro, YVR airport, and some other sponsors of the event showing things in their individual tents. There was a red barn with cooking displays, and another tent talking about cultivation, and also the sharing farm itself, showing what people do here, and how it goes back into the community. Most of the food grown here goes to the foodbank… and to learn about this now. after 6 years. Also some local farmers were selling things. like. fresh garlic (of course!), raw honey, local produce (from lettuce to tomatoes), jams… there were many things on show. I just can’t remember them at all.
The sharing farm area is huge, and it’s a peaceful place to walk… but to know that this place exist, and what people are doing here is amazing… that. and the backdrop of airplanes landing across the water at YVR… it’s a relaxing experience that I hope to come back next year to partake in!
We ended up walking most of the festival with 4 batches of lettuce we won at the Kins Farm booth! Just remember next time… (next year) bring a reuseable bag. you never know what you might leave with.