Event Date: Saturday and Sunday, September 29 and 30, 10 a.m. to 5 PM both days.  Shine or Rain

Location:   Forster’s Farm, 60 Chestnut Hill Rd.  Orange, MA 01364

Admission: Adults $5 per day, $8 for weekend pass. Kids 12 and under free.

Full travel and schedule details: www.garlicandarts.org; No Pets Allowed.

     Follow your nose to the 14^th Annual North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival on September 29and 30.  This scent-sational and much anticipated event fondly known as “The Festival that Stinks” emanates non-stop entertainment and education for everyone in the family.

     Festival enthusiasts wander among 100 exhibitors featuring the region’s finest artists and craftspeople, farmers, specialty food creators and innovative organizations. All ages gain creative inspiration from more than 25 art and agriculture demonstrations, from leather work to weaving, cider pressing to growing garlic, composting with worms, raising bees, and turning wooden bowls. Purchasing locally grown and handcrafted products strengthens local economies! Vibrant with creative culture, sense of community, family fun and skills for local living, the festival has been likened to  ‘a giant family picnic where everyone gets along.’

     The fall foliage and beautiful rolling fields of the historic Forster family farm create a relaxing setting for fabulous performances on two stages. The 2012 musical line-up includes: Wishbone Zoe, Carrie Ferguson, Dave Dersham Band, Trailer Park, Empty Banks, The Gaslight Tinkers, Fenibo, and Mother Turtle. The family stage includes Inside Out Dance Company, Attar Bellydance, Celtic Heels Irish Dance, Joshua Pearson, Peter Seigel and Jay Mankita, Skeleton Crew Theater, Gaia Roots and Ricardo Frota, plus performances by the SOL Garden ‘Grow Food Everywhere’ Theater. Local chefs from Magpie Pizzeria, Stockbridge Farm, The Kitchen Garden, Franklin Community Coop, and the Rendezvous, plus workshops at the wood fired oven will arouse your own garlic and farm-fresh creations. Renewable energy workshops like building a net zero home, micro-hydro power, wind energy, masonry wood heaters, mulching and more fuel your life. Presentations on the Alexander Technique, body care for working bodies, reducing allergies naturally, and self-acupressure offer a healing break. Add to all this ample kids art and nature activities and garlic games galore including the famous raw garlic-eating contest that make this event a draw for families across New England.

     New this Year! A Spoken Word stage organized by Human Error Publishing and featuring over 40 local poets, and a new children’s circle to inspire natural creativity are nestled along a peaceful forest path under the pines.Definitely come hungry; fabulous food vendors fill four food courts with amazing local, garlic and savory dishes that transcend your average fair fare. The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival has helped inspire many other trash free events in the region by producing only three bags of garbage for 10,000 people. Orange IS the New Green! All this for an inflation busting, family friendly admission of $5.00 per day for adults, $8.00 for a weekend pass, and kids 12 and under are always free.

     To Get to the Festival: Take Route 2 to Exit 16, or Route 202 from the south, and follow the signs to the main parking area and shuttle lot on the corner of Holtshire and Fairman Roads to catch a free, five- minute ride right to the festival entrance gate. Parking at the festival site is reserved for carpools of three or more or those with handicap tags. New! Exercise enthusiasts can hike 45 minutes from the shuttle lot through the forest and over the hills to the festival via the Chestnut Hill trails. Get full directions and travel details at www.garlicandarts.org /directions/.

No pets are allowed on the festival site or left in cars. Visit the website at www.garlicandarts.org for the complete 2012 schedules of exhibitors, music, entertainment, kids activities and games, chef demos, renewable energy, local living and healing arts workshops.