With the pandemic continuing to cause event cancelations left and right, we’re happy to report that for one of the Palm Beaches’ longtime gatherings, the phrase “better late than never” applies. The 22nd-annual South Florida Garlic Fest, usually a staple in mid-February, has postponed this year’s event to March 6-7 at a new and more socially distanced venue: Wellington Green Park (2175 Wellington Green Drive).
All standard COVID precautions will be in place, as well as some enhanced safety procedures. Masks will be mandatory on premises, the number of attendees at a single time will be capped, and temperatures will be checked. Hand-washing stations will be plentiful, sanitation procedures at touch points will be increased, and the main-stage seating will be broken into 10X10 Pods—not unlike the ones that have successfully brought live music back to Old School Square—each seating four to six guests.
While in your Pod (Am I the only one who thinks of dolphins every time I write that?), you can enjoy at least three of Florida’s top tribute bands: Turnstiles, playing the hits of Billy Joel; Badfish; playing the eclectic oeuvre of Sublime; and the Red Not Chili Peppers. If you don’t know which artist the Red Not Chili Peppers cover for a living, then I simply cannot help you. Other local bands performing throughout the fest include Jay Blues Band, Fabulous Fleetwoods, Tom Jackson Band, Eric Hansen and the Flyers.
Saving the best for last, the festival will once again feature more than 100 garlic-infused culinary items, such as the signature flaming garlic shrimp scampi, plus children’s amusement rides, full beer and liquor bars, and more than 180 exhibitors selling art, products and homemade goods.
“Dream Machine,” by Ruben Robierb, coming to the Boynton Beach Kinetic Art Exhibit
The Garlic Fest falls on the same weekend as another returning cultural staple, the fifth biennial Kinetic Art Exhibit in downtown Boynton Beach. Focusing on art in motion, this vibrant, free initiative includes outdoor sculptures mounted all weekend long at Boynton Beach Town Center (120 E. Ocean Ave.) and an indoor art exhibition at Boynton Beach Cultural Center (125 E. Ocean Ave.). Artists from throughout Florida, as well as the East Coast and Midwest, will be showcasing the seven eye-catching outdoor sculptures.
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