Tasting Events
Check out these two tasting events in the Pungent Plaza on S. Third Street at Pine Street.
Each event starts at noon on the day indicated.
Tickets go on sale half an hour before the events start at 11:30 am.
Tickets are cash only. A limited number of tickets are sold. Tickets are NOT sold online in advance.
Gastric Garlic People's Choice Contest SATURDAY
Be one of the 400 lucky people to sample and judge the best garlic dish created by chefs from local restaurants. You determine which chef will take home the coveted Garlic Bulb Winners Plaque. This event is a garlic lover’s dream! $12 entry fee (cash only).
Dangerous Desserts Contest SUNDAY
Be one of the 200 lucky people to sample and judge the best garlic dessert created by chefs from local restaurants. You determine which Chef creates the best sweet garlic magic. You have to taste it to believe it! $12 entry fee (cash only).
Stinkin' Culinary Stage
3 Mayors’ Cook-off SATURDAY 1 PM
Mayor Sal Panto of Easton, Mayor Matt Tuerk of Allentown, and Mayor Todd Tersigni of Phillipsburg will face off in a garlic throw down of epic proportions! Each will bring one of their local chefs to battle it out in a judged cooking competition. Come cheer for your favorite city!
Mystery Basket Cook-off #1 SATURDAY 3 PM
Be in the audience to watch Executive Chef Cristian Gonzalez of The Shelby and Culinary Instructor Tyler Baxter of Northampton Community College go garlic head-to-head in a judged competition. Our own Easton Farmers’ Market will provide the mystery ingredients, all locally sourced farm-fresh food!
Mystery Basket Cook-off #2 SUNDAY 1 PM
In this competition Esteban Morales, Food Service Director at Riverton Rehabilitation & Healthcare, will go up against Jeff Wagaman of the Brick Tavern Inn with a completely different set of mystery ingredients provided by the Easton Farmers' Market.
Chef's Choice Cook-Off SUNDAY 3 PM
Stoke Executive Chef Abe Lopez takes on Marbin Castroramos, Head Chef at 3rd & Ferry Fish Market, in a garlic head-to-head battle. Enjoy this sizzlin' competition and watch to see who can wow the judges!
Live Music
Enjoy free live music on three stages this year.
Sizzlin’ Latin Quarter
Saturday
10 am - 5 pm - DJ Nino
11:45 am - 1:30 pm - Diego Calderon & The Rompecorazones del Vallenato
2:30 - 4:30 pm - Swing Combo (salsa music)
Sunday
10 am - 5 pm - DJ Nino
1-3 pm - Fabry Orihuela & Band (Latin pop)
Main Stage
Saturday - "Blues & Booze" theme
10 am - Noon: aGirl & aGuy Band
12:30 - 2:30 pm: The Bobcats
3 - 6 pm: Fish Eyed Blues
Sunday - "Speakeasy" theme
10 - 11:30 am: Karaoke by Plum Loco Entertainment
Noon - 2 pm: Drew Nugent & The Midnight Society
2 - 2:30 pm: Big Easy Easton Brass Band Parade Kickoff
2:30 - 3:30 pm: Drew Nugent & The Midnight Society Encore
4:30 - 6 pm: Patrick Poladian & Friends
School of Rock Stage
The Easton School of Rock will be doing a seasonal showcase for the 5 shows its students have been working on over the past 4 months. The School of Rock is a performance-based music school which has been in Easton since 2009 and focuses on music education in a private lesson and group rehearsal environment.
Saturday 10/1:
The Punk Show - 3:15 pm - A selection of punk music through the ages.
The Singer Songwriter Show 4:30 pm - A variety of music from classic and modern songwriters.
Sunday 10/2:
Tribute to Aerosmith - Noon - A tribute to the Boys from Boston.
Keyboard Heroes - 3:00 pm - A tribute to artists who represent the use of keyboards in rock music.
Tribute to The Beatles - 4:30 pm - A Tribute to the Fab Four.
In addition, on Saturday at noon they will be joined by their friends from the Doylestown School of Rock whose students will be performing a selection of classic and modern rock.
Little Stinkers Row
We know kids like to STINK IT UP as much as adults do. So we dedicate a section of the festival to them. Here’s what they can find on Little Stinkers Row on N. 3rd & Church Streets.
Moon bounce, obstacle course & trackless train -
($3 per ride - cash only)
Games of chance (fees apply - cash only)
Face painter ($5-$10 - cash only)
Balloon animals with Balloons the Clown on Sunday from 1 - 4 pm (free)
Make your own paper garlic hat (free)
Sign up - Culinary Kids Cooking Contest 11 am
Sign up for a chance to participate in the Culinary Kids Cooking Contest. Five kids between 8 and 12 years old will be chosen to compete, creating a pasta dish for a judged competition.
Sign up early and return at 1:30 pm to see if you are one of the lucky ones chosen.
Culinary Kids Cooking Contest 2 pm
5 budding chefs will create a garlicky pasta dish. Watch as they learn to cook and see who the judges choose as the winner!
Headline Chef
Chef Karnail of Tandoor Grill
We are excited to announce that Chef Karnail Singh (pictured left) of Tandoor Grill in downtown Easton is this year’s Easton Garlic Fest Headline Chef! He will be accompanied by restaurant owner Raj Muddu (pictured right).
With a combined 40+ years in Authentic Indian Culinary experience, Owners Priya and Raj made Easton their homebase. Partnering with Chef Karnail, who brings his vast international experience in Indian and Indian-fusion cooking, Tandoor Grill has been a staple in Easton's culinary Renaissance and has been a favorite ever since it opened in 2018. Their ability to create vegan, vegetarian, meat, seafood, appetizers, and entrees day in day out at a high level of quality is a testament to their loyal customer base.
Chef Karnail Singh, though not trained formally in a culinary school, at a young age had developed a passion for cooking in his home state of Punjab in India. His passion took him to get trained and work at many restaurants across Europe, from Polad to the UK to Greece. He then came to the United State in the mid-1980s and worked as a head chef in many top-notch Indian restaurants in NYC, like Bukhara and Vatan.
He eventually made Easton his home in early 2000s and has been serving his loyal customers locally in the Lehigh Valley and as far away as California.
"The past 5 years' journey of being in downtown Easton, and now being the Easton Garlic Fest Headline Chef, is indeed a humbling and proud moment," said Chef Karnail.