“Stinkiest Festival On Long Island” Returns for 23rd Annual Celebration This September 13 and September 14, 2025
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Long Island’s most flavorful fall tradition is back. The 23rd Annual Long Island Garlic Festival takes place at Waterdrinker Family Farm & Garden’s North Fork location in Riverhead on Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14, 2025, running both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The two-day event, often called the “Stinkiest festival on Long Island,” celebrates garlic in all its forms while offering families a full day of autumn fun on the farm. Admission is $20 per person, with children under two admitted free.
A Festival Devoted to Garlic
Garlic lovers can expect a marketplace full of vendors showcasing fresh garlic bulbs, braids, and specialty products such as sauces, oils, spreads, and pickles. Food trucks and farm stands will feature garlicky twists on popular foods, including garlic butter roasted corn and other seasonal treats.
One of the festival’s most unique highlights is garlic ice cream, a sweet-and-savory creation that has become a rite of passage for adventurous attendees. Cooking demonstrations and tastings also give visitors the chance to discover new ways to bring garlic into their home kitchens.
Family Fun on the Farm
While garlic is the star, the festival also doubles as a celebration of Long Island’s harvest season. Attractions include:
- 🌻 Sunflower fields in peak bloom
- 🎃 Pumpkin picking for the fall season
- 🌽 Corn maze adventures
- 🧄 Garlic scavenger hunt across the grounds
- 🚂 Waterdrinker Express train ride
- 🎶 Musical hayride with live performers
- 🐐 Barnyard animals and mini golf for kids
- 🎤 Live music and entertainment throughout the day
This blend of food, farming, and family activities has made the festival a can’t-miss stop on Long Island’s fall calendar.
Garlic Festivals Across New York
The Riverhead event is part of a larger tradition of garlic festivals held throughout New York State, each with its own local flavor:
- Hudson Valley Garlic Festival (Saugerties, Sept. 27–28, 2025): One of the largest in the nation, drawing more than 50,000 people with food, crafts, and live music.
- Geneva’s Glorious Garlic Festival (Aug. 2–3, 2025): A Finger Lakes celebration combining garlic dishes with wine country charm.
- Susquehanna Valley Garlic Festival (Milford, Sept. 20, 2025): Known for its garlic-growing contests and community-driven atmosphere.
These events highlight New York’s role as a top garlic-producing state, with the Long Island Garlic Festival offering the region’s own unique spin by blending agriculture with family entertainment.
Event Snapshot
📍 Location: Waterdrinker Family Farm – North Fork, 4560 Sound Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901
📅 Dates: Saturday, September 13 & Sunday, September 14, 2025
⏰ Time: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. each day
🎟 Admission: $20 per person (children under 2 free)
🍴 Highlights: Garlic ice cream, garlic butter roasted corn, vendor market, food trucks, sunflower fields, pumpkin picking, corn maze, hayrides, live music, barnyard animals
With its mix of garlicky indulgences, harvest-themed fun, and farm activities for all ages, the Long Island Garlic Festival has earned its place as one of the region’s most distinctive seasonal events. Whether you’re curious to try garlic ice cream or simply looking for a family-friendly way to welcome fall, Riverhead is the place to be this September.
Top 5 Must-Try Garlic Foods
If you’re heading to the Long Island Garlic Festival, these are the can’t-miss bites that everyone will be talking about:
- Garlic Ice Cream 🍦
The festival’s signature oddity — available in flavors like garlic vanilla, garlic pistachio, and garlic chocolate. Sweet, creamy, and surprisingly delicious. - Garlic Butter Roasted Corn 🌽
Fresh corn on the cob drenched in garlicky butter. A savory staple that’s perfect while wandering the festival grounds. - Garlic Pickles & Spreads 🥒
From tangy pickles to pestos and dips, these make great snacks at the festival and souvenirs to take home. - Garlic Popcorn 🍿
A lighter festival treat coated in garlic butter and herbs — easy to munch as you explore. - Garlic Chocolate 🍫
Rich, dark chocolate infused with garlic for a one-of-a-kind sweet-and-savory flavor pairing.
The Strangest Garlic Foods to Try
One of the big draws of the Long Island Garlic Festival is the chance to sample foods that take garlic far beyond the kitchen basics. Visitors can expect both savory staples and daring experiments that spark curiosity and conversation:
- 🍦 Garlic Ice Cream – The festival’s most famous treat. Flavors have included garlic vanilla, garlic pistachio, garlic chocolate, garlic snickerdoodle, and garlic pecan praline. It’s sweet, creamy, and surprisingly well balanced with roasted garlic’s mellow flavor.
- 🍫 Garlic Chocolate – Rich cocoa blended with garlic for a bittersweet, earthy twist that sounds impossible but works for adventurous palates.
- 🍿 Garlic Popcorn – A lighter option, coated in garlic butter and herbs, perfect for snacking while strolling the festival grounds.
- 🥒 Garlic Pickles & Spreads – Tangy pickles, garlic dips, pestos, and even garlic hummus offer plenty of tasting opportunities.
- 🌽 Garlic Butter Roasted Corn – A festival staple where fresh corn on the cob is drenched in garlicky butter.
- 🍹 Garlic-Infused Drinks – Some vendors experiment with garlic lemonade, garlic Bloody Marys, and even garlic beer or wine.
- 🍬 Garlic Cotton Candy – Rare and quirky, but it has appeared at garlic festivals across New York as a novelty item.
Part of the fun is tasting the unexpected and deciding whether these garlicky twists are delicious discoveries or just a once-in-a-lifetime bite. Many visitors say they come to the festival as much for the food experiments as for the family-friendly farm attractions.
