A short review: 2013 Hudson Valley Garlic Festival TM

Official website: http://hvgf.org/
This is a review.


This weekend we traveled once again to the garlic festival in Saugerties, New York.  We noted with severe consternation two things:  1).  A "premium parking spot" could be had for ten dollars; and 2).  Early arrivers were directed to the faraway Orange Lot rather than to the nice paved lot by the school.  As far as the first-- business is business.  As far as #2, I was fairly put out by this turn of events and mate was blistering.  Instead of a leisurely quarter of a mile walk to the Village Diner for breakfast, we were in for a mile walk to the V.D. and some of that was over uneven ground.  I don't do well on uneven ground ["wonderful" side effect of the brain damage inflicted upon me by the marijuana smoking driver who caused my car to run into a house some years ago].  Mate is scheduled for a knee replacement "in five years" but I deeply suspect the knee did not read the manual and wants to quit beforehand.  We are getting older now, however I do not think that either one of us qualify for a disabled parking permit and that is how it should be.  Even so, the extra walk and the pain it caused mate in particular is inexcusable.  We arrange to get there early every year so that we can get a parking space in the high school parking lot rather than having to park in a field of ruts and depressions.  So festival planners and organizers if you are reading this, I protest again the evil nefarious plan to start the early arrivers in the Orange Lot rather than in the high school lot.  Nothing you say will make me change my mind about this one.

We arrived [finally] at the Village Diner.  Both of us settled in with some coffee.  I listened to various conversations that the locals were having with the diner staff.  Many of the locals do not care for the mess that the extra travel brings to their peaceful and quaint little village.  Only a few of the locals admitted that they attend the garlic festival at all.

The diner coffee is quite good.  As I do every year, I enjoyed the oatmeal, brown sugar on the side but no milk or butter, and mixed fruit for $5.95.  The fruit this year was fresh blueberries, raisins, and bananas; along with strawberries from a jar and canned sliced peaches.  I'm not a fan of sugared or syruped fruit but this was good.  Mate had an omelet which was done just right and two slices of yummy bacon.

The festival itself was well-attended as usual.  Although I missed seeing the greyhounds up for adoption and mate missed arguing with the folks giving away copies of the KJV [neither organization was represented this year], the craftspeople and farmers and producers of delectable garlic treats were all there.  The layout this year was better than ever-- crafters by the main gate, food up one side of the main drag and exhibitors [and free tastes of their products] up the other side and also on a left loop and a right loop.  The music coming from the left loop in particular was kick-ass.  There was a drummer and a guitar player cranking out the tunes.  They were obviously well-rehearsed.  We did not stay for the plays or the parade this year.

I purchased several kinds of hard-necks for planting and mate bought a jar of smoked spices that we both enjoy.  I also got a poster this year of the festival [three dollars] and a tack pin [five dollars].  Mate declined to buy a hat this year, stating that the quality of the workmanship had noticeably gone down without offering any further information.

After going through the displays and exhibits once, we were both done for and got on the bus [which was now running] to take us to our parking lot far away.

sapphoq reviews says:  Parking Plan:  FAIL.  Everything else:  Spectacular.  A nap upon returning home:  Heavenly.