Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—September 26, 2013. On Saturday, October 5, from noon to 4 p.m., Thorn Creek Nature Center will hold Garlic Fest, an afternoon of family fun celebrating organically grown garlic with recipes, cooking, crafts, hikes, planting & growing demonstrations, garlic refreshments, live music and garlic galore.
Allow the many fragrances and tastes of a wide variety of garlic to fill up your senses as you explore the organic garlic grown on Thorn Creek’s historic farm, delicious baked goods and wonderful treats with garlic baked right into them.
The Garlic Market Place will feature over 20 different varieties of garlic for sale to eat through winter or to plant in October. These unusual garlic varieties are sold for $2 a bulb to benefit the Nature Center. Thorn Creek favorites that grow very well here in the Midwest are the soft-neck, robust flavored Inchellium, the strong tasting hot spicy hard-neck German, and Silver Rose a beautiful long storing variety great for braiding.
Free samples of raw garlic with a parsley “chaser”, which is the best way to discriminate between the different varieties, will tickle taste buds.
Garlic and organic gardening books, garlic roasters and keepers will also be available. On hand in the market place will be Garlic Gurus Kathy Tovey and Jon Mendelson to answer all your garlic questions especially tips on planting garlic in October.
At 2 p.m. join Emily Thiel on a Serendipity Hike- a hike run by the hikers. We’ll walk through the old Camp Pompei exploring as we go along. All ages welcome.
Garlic Fest features Art King and demonstrations on vermi-composting. The basis of all organic gardening is compost – household vegetable waste recycled into nutrient rich fertilizer. Learn from a master gardener the easy, low maintenance way to have worms do the recycling. Demonstrations, composting information and red wiggler samples throughout the day. Mama’s Magic Manure, compost from animal waste, produced on local Poopy-Doo Farm will be on sale.
Help select the new logo for Thorn Creek’s Junior Ecologists Club from among the choices created by the club’s young people.
Back by popular demand are cooking demonstrations with self-proclaimed Chefs Tim Chappell and Shawn Hamende, two time winners of the Kankakee amateur chef contest. Sample items such as roasted garlic, pear chutney, garlic soup, pesto and much more and let your taste buds be the judge. Demonstrations will occur throughout the day.
An original graphite drawing by artist Marikay Peter Whitlock titled “Prairie Chapel” is available for a donation of $75 or more to the Friends of Thorn Creek Woods. All proceeds will benefit the preserve, which was the inspiration for the drawing.
Fest bake sale will also feature items with garlic – plus water, coffee & tea. Visitors can create a garlic braid to take home and learn how to clean garlic.
Peruse the handmade soaps, healing salves, bath salts and more of Maureen Chappell’s Herb Basket. Hammered dulcimer musician Jerry Santoni will evoke memories of long-ago with his poignant melodies. Also for sale will be Thorn Creek and Garlic Fest T-shirts.
Another fabulous Thorn Creek raffle offers chances on an antique pitcher and basin, a school house clock and winter holiday donated by Phyllis Camplin, ceramic birdhouse, stained glass butterfly creations by Jeff McGrain, and specialty baskets created by Mary Ann Transon and Penny Chamberlain.
A great family afternoon adventure, Garlic Fest is for all ages. Parking is located across the street and admission is $5 per car or $1 per bike with $5 maximum bike charge per family. No early birds please.
For more information, please call Thorn Creek Nature Center, 247 Monee Road, Park Forest, IL at 708-747-6320 or email [email protected]. The nature center is open to the public Friday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
