Top 10 Questions and Answers:

• When is the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival?
• Where is the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival held?
• How much are tickets and where can I buy them? Are tickets good for a particular day? Both days?
• Can I bring a pet?
• I want to be a vendor. How do I do that?
• I want to be an entertainer. How do I do that?
• Where does the money from the festival go?
• What is the schedule of events?
• Is it true that "USA Today" named you a top festival?
• What will the weather be like?
  And will the festival be held come rain or come shine?

1. When is the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival?
   
   The festival is always held the last full weekend in September. In 2010, it will be held September 25th and 26th. The hours on Saturday are 10 a.m. 'til 6 p.m., and on Sunday it's 10 a.m. 'til 5 p.m.
   
   
2. Where is the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival held?
   
   The festival is held at Cantine Field in Saugerties, New York. Saugerties is nestled in the Hudson Valley, 100 miles north of New York City and 50 Miles South of Albany. Saugerties' Esopus Creek joins the Hudson River at a point 8 miles north of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and 12 miles south of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on the west bank of the Hudson River. Saugerties is accessible via the New York State Thruway (Exit 20, Mile Marker 101). NY State Routes 9W, 212 and 32 all meet in the Village of Saugerties. The days of the festival, the police will provide plenty of help to get you to a parking spot. For a handy map of Saugerties that shows parking locations as well as locations where you can board a free trolley that will take you to and from the festival, click on Maps/Directions.
   
   
3. How much are tickets and where can I buy them? Are tickets good for a particular day? Both days?
   
   In 2010, tickets are $10.00 at the gate. (No senior or discount tickets will be available at the gate.) A ticket is good for entry for 1 person, and is good for Saturday or Sunday, but not both. Children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
   
   Advance discount tickets will be available by approximately June 1st for $7. Online ticket sales from this Web site begin in June. Sunday, Sept. 20th will be the last day for online ticket sales.
   
   Advance tickets are available from select Saugerties businesses (Smith Hardware, Sawyer Savings Bank and M&T Bank).
   
   Like last year, People 65 years or age or older can purchase special advance tickets for $3 apiece (limit 2 per customer), if they can show proof of their age at any of the businesses selling advance tickets.
   
   The regular $10.00 tickets are always available at the gate.
   
   When tickets are ordered online, they are mailed within a reasonable amount of time and should arrive no later than 2 weeks after the order was placed.
   
   
4. Can I bring a pet?
   
   We all love our pets . . . however, for the enjoyment of all festival attendees, we ask that you make arrangements for attending the festival without your pet. Thank you for your consideration on this point.
   
   
5. I want to be a vendor. How do I do that?
   
   In general, if you are considering becoming a vendor, please ensure that what you are offering has a garlic affinity. (It *is* a garlic festival, after all.) And please understand that there is tremendous interest in being a Hudson Valley Garlic Festival vendor, and thus submitting an application is not in any way a guarantee that you will be selected. If you want to be a vendor in 2010, keep an eye out on this site during June. You will be able to download, print, fill out and submit an application. The application deadline is July 1st, 2010 and vendors will be notified of whether or not they are accepted as soon after August 1st, 2010 as we can manage.
   
   
6. I want to be an entertainer. How do I do that?
   
   Practice, practice, practice. (Sorry.) We have a long list of entertainers who want to be part of the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival . . . to the point where we have a temporary moratorium on considering new acts. We will update this Web site once that situation changes.
   
   
7. Where does the money from the festival go?
   
   The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties sponsors the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival, and Kiwanis members and others volunteer donate many hours of time to make the festival happen. No member receives compensation for his or her time. The money received from the festival goes back to the community in a variety of ways. Examples are:
   
   Scholarships for students who serve their communities
   
   Donations to non-profit organizations within the Hudson Valley, including programs such as the Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts of America, Coats for Kids, Girls Scouts of America, Historical Society, Seamon's Park, Saugerties High School Key Club, Saugerties High School Scholarships, Special Olympics, Kamp Kiwanis, Karing for Kids, Saugerties Library, School Supplies for Kids, Ulster Literacy, Toddler Town, Ulster Crime Victims, Seamon's Park Holiday Celebration and various sports teams.
   
   Assistance with the purchase of community quality-of-life-enhancing facilities such as an ice skating rink, purchased in February of 1998, to better serve the communities' diverse sports and other life interests.
   
   
8. What is the schedule of events?
   
   The 2010 entertainment schedule will be available as we get closer to the event. The 2010 Entertainment and Lecture Schedule is available as a sample of our entertainment by clicking on 2010 Schedule of Events.
   
   
9. Is it true that "USA Today" named you a top festival?
   
   Yes. The Hudson Valley Garlic Festival was the lead festival covered in USA Today's April 12, 2002 edition, covering the Top Ten Regional Food festivals in the USA, in their opinion.
   
   Here is what they said about us:
   
   ''This is a paradise for garlic lovers. Well-known chefs give cooking demonstrations, and people can sample Cajun garlic shrimp, fried dough with garlic and garlic pickles. There's even garlic cotton candy for kids, and garlic dog biscuits.''
   
   We've also been honored by being included in One of the 16 "Tasty Reasons to Travel", in Cracker Barrel's 2005 Travel Almanac.
   
   The American Bus Association's 2004 Top 100 Events in North America
   
   The Discover America calendar's top 200 events. For more information, contact Brian Gavigan (716-903-2936) or brian@stwadvertising.com.
   
   
10. What will the weather be like?
    And will the festival be held come rain or come shine?
    
    Sunny and seasonable.
    
    In the highly unlikely event of inclement weather, the festival must go on. (We have never cancelled a Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in all the years we've been hosting the festival.)

by Robert M. Place

2010 Hudson Valley
Garlic Festival™
September 25 & 26, 2010