Edmonton’s Garlic Festival is back — and the air is rich with anticipation (and yes, garlic). For 33 years, the Sorrentino’s Restaurant Group has proudly championed the mighty bulb, turning a humble ingredient into the crown jewel of an annual citywide celebration.
What began as a few garlicky menu items has evolved into a full-blown garlic empire — complete with garlic royalty, garlic-themed collectibles and community-rooted charity work. And according to Carmelo Rago Jr., Director of Marketing and Operations at Sorrentino’s, it all started with a simple request from restaurant regulars.
“More and more garlic.”
Each April, Sorrentino’s transforms into ground zero for garlic lovers and rolls out a lineup of dishes that push the boundaries of what the bulb can do. Over the years, the restaurant group has experimented with everything from garlic beer to garlic gelato. Sorrentino’s believes there’s something about garlic that draws people in, whether it’s the rich, savoury flavour or the nostalgic memories it invokes from family meals and shared moments.
And this year, they’re incorporating black garlic — the fermented, umami-rich sibling of the classic clove — into a silky panna cotta. The festival menu boasts a total 16 garlic-infused dishes. Carmelo’s personal pick is the orecchiette pasta, which he says hits the perfect garlicky sweet spot.
This menu will be featured at all Sorrentino’s locations on April 17 — the festival’s Big Garlic Night. The garlic theme runs deep throughout the festival — with aprons and T-shirts becoming coveted collector’s items, guests planning their visits like dedicated food pilgrims, and even the crowning of Garlic Kings and Queens to honour those who embrace the bulb with the most enthusiasm.
And of course, the festival’s unofficial rally cry is Eat. Drink. Stink.
Garlic Festival events aren’t just about what’s on the menu. The festival calendar includes garlic-forward cooking classes at Sorrentino’s Little Italy, where chefs share their clove-filled secrets in a relaxed, hands-on setting. Guests come to these classes not just to learn, but to indulge in their shared passion for the bold flavours of garlic. Tickets are still available for the April 11 class. There’s also the iconic Garlic Stomp on April 26 — a dinner and dance event that brings out garlic lovers dressed to the nines, ready to clink glasses and cut a rug.
The festival isn’t just about bold flavour — it’s also about supporting the community. This year marks the final installment of Sorrentino’s four-year commitment to Breathing Space, a facility for lung transplant patients supported by Alberta Lung. A percentage of festival profits will go towards the facility.
At its core, the Garlic Festival is about bringing people together, over the joyful aroma of roasted cloves. It’s a month of garlic-soaked fun that Edmonton has come to adore, not in spite of the stink, but because of it.
Festival events span the month of April.
