Each year we strive to make the MDI Garlic festival an event that the whole community can participate in and enjoy. We are very grateful to the support of the SW Harbor Chamber of Commerce, KidsPeace, The Bangor Daily News, Smugglers Den Campground and all the participants and volunteers that make this event possible.

Do you know the history of the Garlic Festival? In the fall of 1998, Frank Pendola and a few friends gathered to celebrate the harvesting of his garlic crop......garlic was baked, meat was smoked, "Garlic Festival" t-shirts were worn...... and the garlic festival was born. The following year, the festival was opened to the public. Frank and friends cooked for 100 people and 350 people showed up for the event. Since then the garlic festival has grown into a gathering of numerous local restaurants, musicians, brewers and garlic growers, drawing more than 800 people to the event. Most importantly, the festival has raised thousands of dollars for local non-profit organizations.