What a discovery! We were driving from Worcester northwest along Rte 122 toward Rte 2 and Greenfield, just out exploring. We had left the suburbs of Worcester far behind and were very near the Quabbin Reservoir when we say a bright orange sign proclaiming the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival!

Well I ask you what foodie could pass up a serendipitous garlic and arts fest? We followed the signs along the twisting roads and came upon another world.

The event filled a large field, with a sort of locavore food court on a small wooded hill overlooking the tents of the main event. The food was all good local fare, and creative - that's where I tried my first garlic ice cream...

We really got into some trouble there. The festival went way beyond garlic. I bought about 18 different heirloom tomatoes for a tomato-tasting event, and a dozen types of garlic for a garlic tasting event, and about a half-dozen different varieties of new potatoes. I don't even eat potatoes! It was a temporary aberration, to be sure. A sort of locavore foodie shopper's high. But we sure had fun sampling those tomatoes and garlic!