Culture Talks: Garlic: A Linguistic Journey Around the World by Véronique Perez, 2:00 to 2:25

John Ota has been involved with architecture and design since 1978, with degrees from Columbia University, the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia. He is the author of the recently published The Dining Room. His bestselling book The Kitchen was a 2021 Taste Canada Awards finalist and a 2021 Paris Gourmand Cookbook finalist in the book design category. After working in architecture in Toronto, New York and Vancouver, John now loves to travel the world visiting historic houses, cooking regional food, and meeting people of all backgrounds.

John is the emcee of the Culture Talks.

The Culture Talks take place in the Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory during the Toronto Garlic Festival. There is no fee to attend a talk.

This year’s Culture Talks workshop is a hands-on lesson in making a traditional Indigenous medicine pouch — a sacred bundle that may hold tobacco, sage, and other medicines, prepared and sealed for the person who carries it. It is led by Tiffani Vart, a 22-year-old Indigenous artist, alongside her mother, Angela Vart Shilling.

Why at the garlic festival? Garlic has traditionally been used for protection — hung over doorways, worn against the body, trusted to guard against illness. Toronto haberdasher Harry Rosen told the story of wearing garlic cloves wrapped in cheesecloth around his neck during the 1953 polio epidemic, an amulet his Polish grandfather believed would keep him safe. The medicine pouch shares that same human instinct — to carry a plant close for protection — and remains a living, sacred practice, made and carried to this day. Across cultures and centuries, people have turned to plants not only for food, but for healing, protection, and meaning.

Participants leave with their own medicine pouch. The workshop is free; seating is limited, so arrive early to reserve your spot.

Tiffani Vart is a 22-year-old Indigenous artist who is developing her own path through art, culture, and community. She studied at OCAD University for two years and has continued to develop her artistic practice through painting and other creative work. She is also beginning to share Indigenous knowledge through hands-on community workshops: most recently Tiffani led a Medicine Bag Workshop in Rexdale as part of Arts in Summerlea Park, on behalf of Arts Etobicoke. This fall she teaches a Medicine Bag Workshop alongside her mother, Angela Vart Shilling, at this year’s Garlic Festival. Tiffani brings a young Indigenous perspective to the workshop and is proud to share Indigenous culture, teachings, and creativity with others through hands-on learning.

The Culture Talks take place in the Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory during the Toronto Garlic Festival. There is no fee to attend a talk.

The Toronto Garlic Festival is happening on the grounds of Toronto’s Allan Gardens. Just east of the Gardens lies Cabbagetown, an area of Toronto named after a vegetable that has a lot in common with garlic. Culturally, cabbage and garlic share a deep connection in Toronto’s history as symbols of working-class immigrant resilience, survival and neighbourhood-defining culinary traditions. Come hear the story of this vibrant neighbourhood.

Gilles Huot is a long-time Cabbagetown resident who retired from a long civil service career. He now spends a lot of time feeding his passion for the history of his adopted city, Toronto. Gilles is a Board member of the Cabbagetown Preservation Association where he coordinates walking tours and the Cabbagetown People program. He also volunteers as a Docent with other organizations such as the Royal Ontario Museum, Heritage Toronto, and la Société d’histoire de Toronto.

The Culture Talks take place in the Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory during the Toronto Garlic Festival. There is no fee to attend a talk.

Alex Sein went looking for the garlic-heavy flavours of home in 90s Toronto — and found something bigger. Part memoir, part love letter to the neighbourhoods that raise us, this warm and funny talk asks what our cravings reveal about where we belong.

Alex Sein, also known as BeardedProf416, is a Toronto-based educator, storyteller and urban researcher exploring the relationship between public space, culture, identity and belonging. An immigrant who has spent more than 20 years immersed in Toronto’s tourism, hospitality, education and creative industries, Alex brings both lived experience and academic research to the question of how people connect with the places they inhabit.

A part-time instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University and Humber, Alex’s work examines how graffiti, stickers, public art and other small creative interventions can become forms of “emotional infrastructure”, creating moments of connection, memory and community within the urban environment. He serves on the steering committee for Jane’s Walk Toronto and works closely with Toronto History Museums, Business Improvement Areas and destination marketing organizations to create experiences that encourage people to look beyond the obvious.

@beardedprof416 on Instagram · Facebook

The Culture Talks take place in the Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory during the Toronto Garlic Festival. There is no fee to attend a talk.

Charles Catchpole never planned to be a farmer — he was a chef until his wife spotted a tweet that changed everything. Now running Gitigaanes, his own little farm, Charles shares the story of finding an unexpected calling in the soil, what the land taught him, and a few hard-won tips on growing great garlic.

Charles Catchpole is an Anishinaabe Chef and Entrepreneur, and a member of Couchiching First Nation in Treaty 3 territory. Charles is a trained Chef who schooled at Loyalist & George Brown Colleges. He owns and operates CharGer Foods, selling a line of unique hot sauces and salad dressings as well as running a catering company specializing in Indigenous cuisine. He is also dedicated to Indigenous Food Sovereignty initiatives, including running his own microfarm, Gitigaanes. He has been growing food for five years and incorporates garlic into his catering and preserved products.

@chargerfoods on Instagram

The Culture Talks take place in the Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory during the Toronto Garlic Festival. There is no fee to attend a talk.

Garlic Baristas offer free, fresh-pressed cloves of Ontario garlic to festival visitors, to add extra oomph and kapow to garlic dishes or, to get a leg up in the Garlic Breath Contest. Hosted by Nicole Jacobs, our Garlic Baristas get a good workout from crushing and pressing garlic all day long to keep up with demand! Parsley and lemon at the ready if needed!

Amanda Johnson will share her passion and knowledge of all things horticultural in the Teaching Garden during the festival. The Teaching Garden is located outside, and is accessed through the Children’s Conservatory.

Amanda is an Urban Farmer, landscape apprentice and houseplant enthusiast. Amanda brings her focus in decolonizing horticultural spaces, passion for growing, and dedication to fostering community to the FOAG team. When she isn’t at the Allan Gardens conservatories, she runs an online space called @theblackplanter dedicated to documenting her experiences with growing.

The Garlic Breath Contest, is a festival favorite where contestants celebrate their love for garlic in the most flavorful way! Indulge in delicious, garlicky foods before entering the contest, and see how you measure up—the stronger your garlic breath, the higher your chances of winning fantastic prizes!To add a scientific twist to the fun we use the latest in gas detection technology to measure garlic breath in parts per billion.Join us for this unique and entertaining contest, where we celebrate garlic in all its flavorful glory! The Garlic Breath Contest runs all day. See you at the festival!
   

Visitors can expect witty, garlic-inspired wordplay from our Garlic Poet Laureate, with pungent puns, tangy tongue-twisters, and on-the-spot riffs. Each guest will leave with a personalized, handwritten (cursive!) poem — a fragrant keepsake from the Toronto Garlic Festival.

Toronto Garlic Festival: Vampire Costume Contest, Judged by Bity-Bat

Sign up here:

Join us at the Toronto Garlic Festival Vampire Costume Contest for a fang-tastic time! Whether you’re a young vampire enthusiast or a seasoned bloodsucker, this contest has a category for everyone.

Contest Categories

• Children (0 – 12 years): Individual
• Youth (13 – 18 years): Individual
• Adults (19+ years): Individual
• Groups (2+ people): All ages

Note: Contestants cannot compete in both individual and group categories.

Judging Criteria

• Costumes are judged by Bitty-Bat on several key elements, including:
• Originality: How inventive the concept is, whether store-bought, handmade, or a mix
• Craftsmanship Accuracy: How closely it resembles the original character (if portraying a specific vampire).
• Craftsmanship Quality: The quality and attention to detail in sewing, painting, makeup, and overall fit.
• Technique: The use of a variety of difficult or creative skills.
• Time Invested: The effort put into creating the costume
• Performance & Stage Presence: Creativity, entertainment value, and how well the costume is performed, including a potential reaction to garlic!

How to Participate

• Free to enter! Simply show up in your best vampire attire and wow the judges.
• The contest will run in rounds, with each category being judged separately. Prizes will be awarded after each category.
• Pre-registration Perk: Sign up ahead of time, and you’ll receive a free garlic bulb when you arrive in costume at the contest area. Sign up here:

Prizes:

The prize is…Ontario garlic. Why give garlic to a vampire? Exposure therapy — one bulb at a time until they can  walk past an Italian restaurant without bursting into flames.

Contest Date

• Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 1 to 2:00 pm I

About Bitty-Bat

Bitty-Bat (pictured above)  is a mischievous bat-like creature who has charmed audiences through performances at Toronto Sketchfest, Toronto Fringe, the Montreal Clown Festival and Edinburgh Fringe. This enigmatic character is the creation of Toronto-based actor and clown Emily Jeffers, who drew inspiration from the 1922 film Nosferatu, dancer Loie Fuller, the “Bat Child Found in Cave” from the Weekly World News, and other influences to develop Bitty-Bat’s unique look. Although she is usually a creature of few words, Bitty-Bat is delighted to speak (or squeak) as emcee at the Toronto Garlic Festival’s Vampire Costume Contest. Follow Bitty-Bat on Instagram! @bittybatshow

Sign up for the Vampire Costume Contest here:

Photo Credit: Elana Emer