Memo to: All Covent Garden Market Vendors and Garlic Minded Businesses

From: Christa Engelmeyer

Date: March 4, 2002

Re: First Annual Garlic Festival of London, August 30 and 31, 2002

Covent Garden Market will host the First Annual Garlic Festival of London August 30 and 31, 2002.  We plan to develop this event into a highly successful yearly event that draws thousands of people to the Market and the downtown core for the August long weekend.  We want to celebrate garlic in all its glory with all our vendors and the merchants from the market district.  London restaurants will also be invited to present their best garlic recipe with their chef at the market.  So, get involved and let us know what you would like to do:

Fresh garlic for sale?

Garlic braids?

Braiding demos?

Seminar on the health benefits of garlic?

How to grow garlic?

Special or unique garlic products for sale?

Special garlic recipes on the menu?

Cooking demos?

Extraordinary juggling acts with garlic?

Friday, August 30                    12:00 PM to 6:00 PM - Ticketed Dinner: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Saturday, August 31                 08:00 AM to 6:00 PM – Informal Reception: 7:00 PM

Garlic festivals have been established and proven very popular drawing huge numbers of people all over North America.  There is no garlic festival in Southwestern Ontario yet. The garlic season is at its peak in August: fresh garlic has been harvested and cured.  Southwestern Ontario has the perfect growing conditions for garlic and our farmers produce one of the world’s highest quality garlic!

Talk to me, call me or write me a note, you know where I am.  Market office, phone: 439-3921 ext. 229

MISSION STATEMENT 

The Garlic Festival of London, Ontario, hosted by Covent Garden Market, will take place August 30 and 31, 2002, in the heart of downtown London.  The purpose of our festival is to celebrate and to promote “Ontario garlic” (the world’s finest), while showcasing the many facets of our multi-cultural community.  Our goal is to awaken our visitors to the many fine qualities of Ontario’s garlic: its economic, medicinal, and culinary value.

Garlic is the theme in every aspect of the festival: cooking demonstrations, garlic braiding, preserving and smoking, taste testing and educational seminars.  Visitors can learn how to grow, handle, and store garlic  - and explore its many uses and health benefits.

The Festival will benefit from the vast experience of many fine London and area growers, chefs and craft vendors.  Local restaurants will feature award winning garlic recipes.  Entertainers will provide fun and enjoyment for young and old.

Local produce vendors from the farmers’ market will be here with their products while a range of artists and craft vendors put garlic “on the spot”. The highlight of the two-day event will definitely be garlic-in-use by our award winning chefs, who will put their best garlic recipes on the plate.

In short, the “London Garlic Festival” will be the place to be.  Bring your family and friends to enjoy fun, food, music and – at the heart of it all – garlic, garlic, garlic.