Gilroy Garlic Festival

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is a food festival in the United States, initially held annually from 1979<ref name="founded"/> to 2019 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, California, on the last full weekend in July.<ref name="notreturning">Template:Cite web</ref> After its cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a drive-through festival was held on July 23–25, July 30–31, and August 1, 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2022, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced the indefinite suspension of the traditional large-format festival, stating that it would instead host smaller individual events.<ref name=cancel>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Chron>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2022, the festival was canceled indefinitely.<ref name="notreturning" /> On March 28, 2025, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced that that the festival would return in 2025, from July 25-27, 2025.<ref name="2025_revival" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

An annual three-day event,<ref name=bogel_07282019>Template:Cite news</ref> the Gilroy Garlic Festival was one of the country's best-known food festivals, drawing visitors from across the nation.<ref name="vo_07282019">Template:Cite news</ref> Located about Template:Convert southeast of San Jose, Gilroy is home to about 60,000 people, and the city is a major producer of garlic.<ref name=bogel_07282019/> The festival was Gilroy's top fundraiser, staffed with volunteers to raise money for nonprofit groups including clubs and schools.<ref name=vo_07282019/>

History

The inaugural Garlic Festival was held in 1979. Rudolph J. Malone, then President of Gavilan College in Gilroy, was inspired by a small town in France which hosted an annual garlic festival and claimed to be the "Garlic Capital of the World." Malone started the festival, which attracted hundreds of thousands of paying visitors a year.<ref name="founded">Template:Cite news</ref>

2019 shooting

On July 28, 2019, a mass shooting occurred at the 41st edition of the festival.<ref name="vo_07282019"/> Three people were killed, in addition to the gunman, and 17 others were injured. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

COVID-19 pandemic and cancellation

The festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while 2021 saw a drive-thru festival.<ref name=cancel /> In April 2022, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced that the event would be canceled thereafter due to prolonged losses, "lingering uncertainties from the pandemic," and "prohibitive insurance requirements by the City of Gilroy" since the 2019 shooting.<ref name=cancel /><ref name="Rivera 2022">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="notreturning" />

California Garlic Festival

The California Garlic Festival was held annually from 2022 to 2024 in response to the cancellation of the Gilroy Garlic Festival. The California Garlic Festival is sometimes considered a successor of the Gilroy Garlic Festival,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> although they are held by two unrelated organizers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2025 revival

On March 28, 2025, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced the Garlic Festival would return July 25-27, 2025. The 2025 festival was held at Gilroy Gardens. Attendance was limited to 3,000 per day, compared to past festivals that had 100,000 attendees.<ref name=2025_revival>Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

The Garlic Festival was featured by Huell Howser in Road Trip Episode 124.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gallery

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See also

• Isle of Wight Garlic Festival
• Garlic ice cream

Sources

• Gilroy Garlic Festival. Retrieved January 19, 2007.
• The Gilroy Garlic Festival, 2005.
• Garlic festival tidbits, 2006. Template:Webarchive
• The Origin of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, 2007.