Wichita can eat, drink and shop all things garlic at annual Old Town festival
Wichita likes garlic.
Scratch that.
Almost everyone likes garlic, says Megan Greenway, one of the founders of Orie’s Farm Fresh, a garlic-focused urban farm in northwest Wichita.
And she thinks that’s one of the reasons that her annual Orie’s Garlic Fest has grown so much since its first outing in 2017, she said.
That first year, the festival took place at the farm near 21st and 119th West, and about 30 vendors participated. This year, the festival will have nearly 80 vendors and will fill up a large footprint in Old Town.
“People feel pretty passionately about garlic, it seems like,” Greenway said. “But honestly, I think the biggest thing is just the amazing small businesses that we have in this area and how creative they are. They go all-in on the theme, and it draws a lot of excitement and attention.”
The festival will return for its eight installment (it skipped 2020 because of COVID) from 11 to 3 p.m. Sunday and will not only overtake Public at the Brickyard, 129 N. Rock Island, and its outdoor courtyard but will also will fill the Farm & Art Market Plaza at 835 E. First St. as well as much of Rock Island between Douglas and First Street.
The festival celebrates all things garlic, and participating vendors will be selling ready-to-eat garlic dishes, garlicky beverages, bulbs of fresh garlic and garlic-themed merchandise. One vendor has even made earrings made out of actual garlic slivers that have been dehydrated and coated in resin.
Public at the Brickyard’s kitchen will be serving a garlic-focused menu that includes dishes like black garlic ribs, a garlic smash burger and garlic Parmesan wings. And as always, the festival will include a booth where attendees can get free garlic shots — served raw, sautéed or smoked.
It’s free to attend the festival.
One of the big draws each year, Greenway said, is the unusual list of garlic-infused dishes that people are able to purchase, including drinks and desserts.
Newton-based ice cream maker Salted Creamery will be back with its garlic butter pecan ice cream, which always sells out, Greenway said. This year, the owners are making more of the treat.
“People go nuts over that,” she said. “It sounds so odd, but it is really, really good.”
Public, which will also be serving its regular lunch menu during the event, will have several garlic desserts on its list of offerings as well. Among them: a meringue sugar cookie with garlic ganache and garlic sea salt, and a parfait topped with brown-butter garlic peanuts.
Also: One of the several coffee vendors on site will be serving roasted garlic and rosemary iced lattes.
People also attend the festival to buy fresh bulbs of exotic garlic, Greenway said, and a farm from Iowa will be set up selling 100 varieties. Orie’s also will sell its 20 varieties as well as its organic house-made garlic seasonings.
The event also will include live music. See the full list of vendors below:
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 12:27 PM.
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