Garlicky good times ahead: A savory Stockton celebration will soon simmer

SIZZLING CLOVES: Lots of different dishes sizzle, pop, bubble, and fizz, but when you enter a festive that features lots of smiling bulbs, the sort of merry mascots that promise delicious dishes are just inside, you know that the sizzling is glorious, gorgeous garlic. Finding a festival devoted to the fragrant, snappy, fantastically fryable favorite, though, can put a devoted garlic-ist in a rather tough spot. But if you happen to be in the Golden State, and it is summertime, you can count on at least one or two sizzling celebrations to add fabulousness to fries and oomph to ice cream. And one such party is ahead for Stockton, over the first weekend of August, which, all told, is a stretch that has its own sort of summery sizzle.

GARLICKY GATHERING: The California Garlic Festival will feature music, a car show, arts & crafts, several kid-centered pastimes, and, oh yes, garlic-tastic goodies aplenty. Some of these are well-known among bulb buffs and occasional garlic eaters alike, like garlic fries, while other offerings boast a more unusual feel. Garlic Maple Brown Sugar Ice Cream is among the offbeat eats, but there will be lots more to snack upon, including Garlic Shrimp, Garlic Noodles, Garlic Wings, and Garlic Popcorn. Oh yes: Garlic Pesto Pasta will make a savory showing, as will the Garlic Mushroom and Onion Bread Bowl. Ticket information is sizzling/bubbling on this site, as is everything to know before you go.