Herbal Travels: Go to a Local Herb Festival in 2011

Reader Contribution by Lauren Holt
1 / 2
2 / 2

Spring is in the wind and it’s time to go out and enjoy the garden! Revel in the atmosphere by attending a local herb festival! Because our online Herb Companion calendar is currently down, I’m going to list a bunch of upcoming herbal events in this blog; if you know of more, please post a comment to share!

Most of these events will offer a wide variety of herbal products, plants, seeds and food. Many feature workshops, demonstrations and lectures—some free and some for a few dollars. Be aware that not all vendors will be able to take credit or debit cards. For more information about a festival and its registration procedures, please follow the listed links. The festivals are listed in order by date.


Herb festival are a great place to attend workshops and pick up new herbs or projects.
Photo by zen Sutherland/Courtesy
Flickr 

The 22nd Annual Asheville Spring Herb Festival
Held at the WNC Farmers Market in Asheville, North Carolina, this festival features more than 55 local herb businesses.

Herb Society of America (Wisconsin) Herb Faire at Boerner Botanical Gardens:
In addition to the vendors and seminars, this festival offers a tea room, door prizes and a cooking demonstration by Bartolotta’s chef (Felix Rosado) with two award-winning horseradish appetizers. (Horseradish, you may remember, is the 2011 Herb of the Year.) There is a pre-registration fee of $15 for the presentation, $20 at door; it’s at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Nell’s Cafe. There is also an optional $5 tour of the botanical garden. Proceeds from this event are used to support local gardening projects, educational grants and scholarship in horticulture at MATC. Contact Gerry (262-375-8626) or Nell (414-228-9798).

24th Baltimore Herb Festival:
Held in Leakin Park of Maltimore, Maryland, entrance cost $5 for everyone over 12 years old. The festival features a long list of herbal product vendors.

Sunset Herb and Garden Festival:
Three master gardeners are scheduled to speak at this event, and the festival also offers several children’s activities.  

Pennsylvania Heartland Herb Society Herbal Delights 29th Herbal Symposium:
Monday the 20th will be a day of lectures and workshops on cooking and gardening; Tuesday the 21st will feature a garden bus tour of Northampton County, then a banquet at The Inn at Reading in Wyomissing. The featured speaker is Don Haynie, talking about “Landscaping From the Ground Up”. The signature herb for this festival is basil.

The Ponca City Herb Festival
This festival is a two-time recipient of the RedBud Merit Award, Outstanding Event category, from the Oklahoma Department of Tourism. The Festival will be held at Cann Memorial Gardens in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Admission, gardening and cooking seminars, and children’s activities are free.   

The Virginia Herb Festival At Sunflower Cottage:
The Virginia Herb Festival is held at Sunflower Cottage in Middletown, Virginia. Admission is $5 per person (children under 12 are free if accompanied by an adult), and that fee is good for both days. Entrance gives you a chance to win herbal door prizes. Most seminars and programs are free, but food-based events such as High Tea and Wine Tasting will involve addition fees. Many herbal vendors will be available.

Northwest Herbal Fair:
Held at Fire Mountain Scout Camp near Mount Vernon, Washington, the Northwest Herb Fair is one of the Northwest’s premier herbal events of the year with 100 workshops and 70 presenters. “Early-bird Discount Reservations” are available beginning March 1st. 

16th Annual Southern Vermont Garlic and Herb Festival:
Located in Bennington, Vermont at Camelot Village, this festival celebrates garlic and garlic products produced by 50 vendors in the New England area. Admission is $5 per person per day, with a two day pass available for $8, and children 12 may enter for $1 each. There will be garlic planting and braiding demonstrations, cooking demonstrations, and “weed walks” to explore the uses of local weeds.   

10th Annual Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival:
Held at Canal Place in Little Falls, NY, this festival features live music all day, garlic and herb gardeners, a Garlic Queen Beauty Peagant and plenty of garlic food. There is a donation admission of 43 per person or $10 per family group. Demonstrations and lectures are scheduled throughout the day in addition to a Moss Island Tour.  

Don’t see an event in your area? Look around for a local gardener’s association or club. A state index of National Garden Clubs is available here. You might also search for local herb clubs in your area. 

And again, if you do hear about an herb festival in your area leave a comment to let us know!

  • Published on Apr 26, 2011
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-800-456-6018
Free health and natural beauty tips from Mother Earth News!