DRUMS, Pa. — The hot and stinky garlic festival returns to Zanolini Nursery outside Drums this weekend and final preparations are underway. Nursery owner Paula Willis says the festival started with a small group of garlic farmers 20 years ago.
"They were growing garlic and I said, 'hey I have a great store, let's try it at our store," said Paula Willis, Zanolini Nursery owner. "They're still growing garlic and we're still here having the festival."
The weekend features fresh produce and garlic-infused foods.
Willis expects the makeshift parking lot across the street to fill up.
"People remember, people will start calling me in January and saying are you having the festival? We can't wait to come," said Willis.
Flavors from the festival will stick with you, especially if you take part in the garlic or hot pepper eating contests.
"There's a lot of pepper heads out there who love hot peppers. We thought it would be a fun thing to go along with the garlic festival and there's so many varieties of hot peppers," said Willis.
Cameraman Mike was brave enough to take on the starfish pepper.
It took a moment for the heat to set in.
"See, peppers trick you. You think at the beginning you're fine and then at the end you want to die," said Mike Erat, WNEP photographer.
Willis explained each pepper falls somewhere on the Scoville scale.
I took on the serrano pepper, coming in at 10,000 Scoville units.
"It depends on the pepper, it depends on the field that it was grown in, the weather. It's been hot, so it might be hot," said Willis.
As unorthodox as it may sound, chocolate is a good way to turn down the heat.
You can try that method out at the garlic festival this weekend.
The fun starts Saturday at 11 a.m.